In Memory of Sister Mary David Stier

Sr. M. David has walked the pathway of the Lord to the end of the course and now to a new beginning. She lived a life of love, facing her own fears and overcoming obstacles, coming off stronger and ready for living life more fully.

Sr. M. David was "real." She embraced the inevitable turns of Life/Death/Life with courage and conviction. As she lay dying she was asked, "Are you afraid?" Through her oxygen mask she responded, "I'm not afraid of anything."

Toward the end of her days, she expressed her gratitude for her many happy days spent in community. Sisters have recalled the fun times with her, as in the summer days at Grand Isle when Sr. M. David was the driver for 5:00 a.m. Mass, and this on vacation time!

She faced challenges in her own life--her loss of an eye in a birth injury, broken family ties, personal illnesses. She seemed readied by life's turns to stand by so many others through her outreach.

Truly she met Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life and knew a closer walk with him as she joined so many

In the annals of Dominican history, Sr. M. David has left her mark with her unique style. The street was her pulpit. She had that special gift to jump straight from caring to what she saw as the heart of things.

For certain, Jesus had Sr. M. David in mind when he said, "As long as you did this for the least of my brothers and sisters you did it for me."

We pray that Dominic and all our Dominican saints welcome her and celebrate with us here who lift her up to the Lord with love and joy.

By Sr. Carmelite Zibilich, O.P.

Sister Dorothy adds:

Sister Mary David was completely at ease with celebrities, whose services she often procured on behalf of her poor. In her file are pictures of her laughing self with a laughing Jimmy Durante and Buster Hughes. Another photo shows her with Frankie Lane; in an autographed one from Pat and Eloise O'Brien, Eloise wishes Sister "Best of luck" and promises prayers, while her husband writes in his distinctive hand "To Sister Mary David" urging her, "Don't keep the faith. Spread it around. Love, Pat O'Brien." Another photo is autographed "For Sister Mary David, with love and best wishes from Hale Boggs, M.C.

She received numerous awards for volunteer service over many years. One of the most outstanding may have been Loyola University's prestigious "Integritas Vitae" award in 1980, honoring her as founder/director of Bethlehem House of Bread.

At evening prayer (the religious wake), community and friends who gathered to console one another with happy memories of our departed sister, heard a moving personal testimony from Dr. Frank Minyard,* Orleans Parish coroner. It was our "David" who prodded him to leave his secure private practice to go into public service. "She turned my life around," he said.

Dr. Minyard expressed appreciation for the congregation which left this unique prophet of the streets free to do what she had to do, like hustle breakfast food from the Black Panthers, or procure philanthropist Louis Roussel's private jet to volunteer relief in the Guatemala earthquake, where she lived in a tent for 10 days, and commandeered from the army, a jeep complete with gas fill-ups. Her recent years, limited to her "Amigo" scooter, were hard. She is free at last!

* Dr. Minyard played "Just a Closer Walk With Thee on his trumpet in Sister's honor.