Dorothy Alma Taggart
May 30, 1914 - October 10, 2004
In her own words: On June 10, 1935 I entered the Congregation of Dominican Sisters. Most of my early years I taught the First Grade. There wore many beginning teachers, lay and religious, who were student teachers under my supervision.
I received my Bachelor degree from Dominican College. My superior decided to send me to Louisiana State University to obtain a Masters Degree in administration and supervisory capacity. I earned this degree while teaching at St. Agnes, Baton Rouge.
In 1963 I was assigned to be principal of our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. During this time I experienced some difficulties with integration. When I first arrived there the people were cold towards me and the school. But after a few months there was a big change in their attitude, and they became more helpful.
After six years as principal of Our Lady
of Perpetual Help School, I was assigned as principal of St. Agnes School, Baton Rouge. In my third year there, the Bishop decided to consolidate an all black school with our 50% black school. This caused most of our black students and all our white students to leave. At the end of this year St. Agnes School was converted to a high school for retarded children.
Most of my summers were spent teaching teachers working for their degrees at Dominican College. Later on I volunteered to teach remedial reading at Dominican College. This I did for many years.
When my summer teaching was completed, I was happy to be able to spend my vacation traveling with my Sister, Alice Taggart Gomila. Our traveling extended as far as Alaska which was an education in itself. We enjoyed the beauty in God’s Creation seeing all the National Parks out West. Besides the parks we enjoyed the natural beauty of the mountains and lakes. I remember when we arrived at Crater Lake, Oregon, one man getting out of the bus exclaimed, “You have to believe in God when you see this beautiful lake.” Our country has much to see and enjoy.
Now, I am enjoying teaching the Third Grade at St. Anthony School. I was born in St. Anthony Parish and lived there until I entered the convent. I attended the public school during the elementary years, but went to Religion classes regularly with the Dominican sisters at St. Anthony School, where the seed of my vocation was planted by Sister Mary Bertrand, O.P.
God has blessed me with good health and a beautiful vocation being a Dominican Sister. I am grateful for my life as a religious. God love and bless all of you!
Sister Mary Anna Taggart, O.P.
Dorothy Taggart was sixth of seven children of Anna Biri, a devout Catholic, and Warren Taggart. Of three brothers and three sisters, she is survived by one older sister. Throughout her life, she was close to her family. At age twelve she received First Communion and Confirmation at St. Anthony of Padua Church, with the Dominican Friars from Madrid. She continued religion classes, where she became devoted to Irish Sister M. Bertrand Doyle.
She was avid for tennis at nearby City Park (Her grandfather Biri was one of the park’s founding fathers). She was a natural artist, loved animals, birds, and all of nature.
She finished the commercial course at McDonogh High in New Orleans, and went to work. Her family was among the first in the new St. Anthony Parish; she and her siblings were honored at the 75th anniversary in 1990. She taught primary grades in Dominican schools from 1937 - 1963 and 1972 - 1994. She earned her M.Ed in 1958, and served as principal from 1963 - 1972. She wrote her own story (above) some time after she returned to St. Anthony’s in 1981, where she continued teaching until 1994. After helping out for three more years at St. Anthony, she retired to the motherhouse, where she loved to walk, and observed her daily ritual of feeding the birds and squirrels. She was at home with God’s creatures, always responsive to small kindnesses, and had a positive outlook, seeing goodness and beauty everywhere.
