April 14, 1948 - November 17, 2022

The Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk announce the passing of Sr. Mary Ellen Theriault on November 17th, 2022 after a brief illness.

Mary Ellen was born in Waterbury, CT to the late Ernest and Julia on April 14th, 1948. She grew up with pride in her Canadian roots and was fluent in both English and French. After graduating from Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury, Mary Ellen entered the Ursuline congregation at the age of 18 in 1966 and embarked on a lifetime of service to others. She was drawn to the Ursuline community because of their foundress, St. Angela Merici, who as Sr. Mary Ellen shared, “was a counter-cultural woman whose proposed rule in 1535 called for the gift of oneself to Christ for radical living in an everyday setting.”

With a degree in education from St. John’s University in New York, a MA from St. Michael’s College in Vermont, and an intuitive gift for working with children, Sr. Mary Ellen began her ministry of teaching. She taught at St. Thomas the Apostle (West Hartford, CT), Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (South Ozone Park, NY), and St. Cecilia School (Stamford, CT) before relocating to Highgate, VT and serving as Youth Minister and Director of Religious Education at St. Louis Parish for 25 years. Later, while living in Weston, VT, Sr. Mary Ellen was an active member of the community with the Benedictine Monks of the Weston Priory, embracing the Brothers’ spirit of hospitality and overseeing the Priory’s guesthouses and gift shop.

Throughout her life, Sr. Mary Ellen remained steadfastly dedicated to her convictions and had a relentless passion for social justice. She worked with various organizations for systematic change and is remembered for her compassion and genuine interest in the people she worked with and advocated for.

At the time of her death, Sr. Mary Ellen had been an Ursuline Sister of Tildonk for 56 years and served the community in many capacities, most recently serving as a Councilor on the US Province’s Leadership Team. She had also served as a member of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). Last year, on reflection of her vocation for National Vocation Week, Sr. Mary Ellen shared that her “life as an Ursuline Sister has been a rich tapestry of connection with my province, the multitude of wonderful people with whom I ministered, and the community of other Ursuline congregations. Such a rich network of inspiring women!”

In addition to the Ursuline Sisters, Sr. Mary Ellen is survived by her sister Julia (Judy), and brothers Norbert (Angela) and John (Victoria), as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family members whom she loved dearly. In addition to her parents, she is pre-deceased by her brother, Ernest (Louise).

Sr. Mary Ellen’s life will be celebrated in Waterbury, CT on Wednesday, November 30th with a wake from 9:30-10:45am at Casey’s Eastside Memorial followed by a mass of Christian burial at Saint Peter and Paul / Mary Mother of the Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk by visiting www.tildonkursuline.org.