Sister Marie Frechette, MSBT

At SOAR!, we recently enjoyed meeting with Sister Marie Frechette, a member of the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity in Philadelphia, on a ZOOM call. We talked about her vocation, ministry and the work she presently does for her community.

Throughout her life, Sister Marie has always been a woman of service to others.

“In my freshman year of high school, I was on retreat with the Carmelite Sisters in Newport, Rhode Island. One evening, the Sisters shared a vocation film, and I thought, ‘I could do that’,” recalled Sister Marie. “The Missionary Servants were assigned to my parish and they taught us in CCD. I was always helping out – watering flowers in the summer, helping put up the Christmas Crib…and one day, one the Sisters asked, ‘Why don’t you join us?’”

At the age of 17, Sister Marie was at a meeting for the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate – a group of lay people committed to living out their faith – when she felt the certainty of her call. She entered the community in 1965 and professed her first vows in 1967.

Sister Marie holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago and has been a clinical social worker  for 48 years.

Sister has ministered in a variety of capacities, including as a CCD teacher in Rochester, New York; as a social worker for Catholic Social Services in Pensacola, Florida; and most recently in Asheville, North Carolina. She has served her community as director of mission advancement from 2003 to 2010. Sister Marie was also a pastoral associate in two parishes in Charlotte and led counseling and support groups, including one on caring for caregivers, and two bereavement groups for spouses.

More than thirty years ago, Sister Marie was instrumental in setting up a moms’ “morning of sharing” at a parish in Pensacola. She helped train a core group of women to facilitate faith-sharing. The group is still going strong and has grown to include similar groups in 12 parishes. Sister was blessed to attend the 30th anniversary celebration in 2022.

These days, Sister Marie continues to serve her community and helps Sisters learn or improve on their technology skills.

As she reflects on her life, Sister Marie said she is a firm believer that “God loves us lavishly” and that “every person is another face of God.”

The Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity recently received a grant from SOAR! to purchase iPads and keyboards, and Sister Marie helped train the Sisters on how to use them. Your support helps aging Sisters easily connect with family and friends and participate in the life of their community. Thank you for being “a face of God” for aging religious!