Souer Anne Marie Geslin, MSC

Sr. Anne-Marie was born at St. Hellier-du-Maine in the department of Mayenne on July 4, 1916. Her parents were Pierre-Michel Geslin and Marie-Louise Davy. She had two brothers who remained very close to her. When Anne-Marie entered the community at Précigné, her family was living in Pontmain.

On October 7, 1939, Anne-Marie entered the postulancy of the Marianites at Précigné and received the holy habit on June 24, 1940. On that day, Anne-Marie received as her religious name Sr. Mary of the Guardian Angel. The sisters affectionately nicknamed her “the little angel” and also “the feather” because she was small, thin, and never did weigh very much.

She pronounced her first temporary vows on May 27, 1942 and renewed them on the 27th of May in 1943, 1944, and 1945. Sister pronounced her perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and foreign missions on September 10, 1945 at Précigné.

When she left the novitiate in May of 1942, she began helping in the office of the Bureau at Précigné. In August 1945, Sister was put in charge of the admissions office of the Marianite Clinic in Le Mans.

In 1947 Sister became secretary and was in charge of the business office of the Préventorium at Précigné, a position she occupied for over twenty years. Anne-Marie remained a smiling and welcoming presence in the office until 1971.

Despite not having made a vow of stability, Sister remained at Précigné until her death on December 18, 2014.

Sister retired in 1992 and moved into St. Joseph retirement home of Précigné, always affable, discreet, and smiling.

We must note that, in addition to her obedience, Sister loved to render small services to anyone who asked for her help. This is how she ended up working in the secretariat of the parish and also maintained the community accounts. She was always present at administrative council meetings of the Préventorium then of the Basil Moreau Center and guiding the tutelles of the Center.

She knew and lived through many of the transformations at the Préventorium and also at the Medical Center in which she was very interested.

In his homily, Fr. Bouvier, CSC, talked about all the pilgrimages she had participated in: Notre Dame du Chene, Lisieux, Fatima, Rome, Lourdes and especially dear to her heart – Notre Dame du Pontmain in Mayenne. In fact, Sister died with the cross of Our Lady of Pontmain and her seven-dolor beads lying on her chest.

Several times Anne-Marie’s health caused concern but it would then return to normal. Since September 29, 2010, she went three times weekly to the hospital for treatment. In December 2014, Sr. Raymonde noticed that Anne-Marie’s health had gravely worsened and she was having difficulty breathing.

Her two companions, Sisters Raymonde and Rolande, took turns being with her. On December 18, things went very quickly. Sr. Jacqueline Brechotte and Sr. Therese Poupard were with her; just ten minutes after they left, Sr. Rolande received her last breath. Sister died quietly, sweetly just as she had lived all her life. She now joined the ONE who had been all for her here below.

Since her burial on December 20, 2014, Sr. Anne-Marie’s body reposes in the conventual cemetery of Précigné.

May her lovely soul rest in peace!