A story by Biddeford Cultural & Heritage Center Voices of Biddeford project from 1920s to 2018
Voices of Biddeford interview with Sister Viola Lausier on November 5, 2018
Born in Grand Isle, Maine in 1924, Sister Viola joined the Good Shepherd Sisters with the intention of working with children as a teacher. Her career took her from being a teacher in northern Maine, to teaching and being a principal in Massachusetts. Her organizational and business skills led her to leadership roles in the world of finance and state regulations in Massachusetts and Maine. She retired as the Finance Director of St Andre's Home in Biddeford after serving there for 33 years. Her contributions included roles on numerous committees and boards, often as the only woman. Her passion, through all of these positions, has been a continuous "hands on" role in helping people, especially young women and their children.
In this interview, Sister "Vi" told us about the personal sacrifices she had to make when joining the Good Shepherd sisters: "I didn’t visit my family for 7 years… and I had a baby sister that was born after I entered the convent. I think she was like 4 years old when I met her." She went on to succeed in a career where she had to navigate the world of finance, federal and state regulations and legislators to keep needed service programs alive. She also provides insights into the evolution of adoption through the years and touching stories of individuals supported by the services offered by St Andre's Home.
Recorded on November 5, 2018
View a transcript of this interview, more pictures, and additional information.
For more stories from the Voices for Biddeford project, visit Voices of Biddeford.
Sister Viola Lausier 2018
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