Sister Elsie Mae Vidrine, MSC

Sr. Elsie Marie Vidrine, MSC, (AKA Sr. Maurice) was born December 12, 1926 in Ville Platte, Louisiana. She died at Our Lady of Prompt Succor at 7:25 PM on September 20, 2019.

Sr. Elsie was preceded in death by her father, Joseph P. Vidrine, her mother Felicia Soileau Vidrine, and her brothers, Goodwin Vidrine and Woodrow Vidrine. She is survived by her brother, Winston Vidrine and her sister, Ethel Fontenot and many nieces and nephews.

Sr. Elsie entered the Congregation of the Marianites of Holy Cross on September 8, 1944. She pronounced her perpetual vows on August 12, 1950. Sr. Elsie began her ministry in food services in the kitchen and cafeteria of the Academy of Holy Angels in 1946. She also learned how to use the fluting machine used to make the fluted cap that was a signature feature of the Marianite habit. She was involved in the Supervising of food services at Ville Platte General Hospital for nine years before moving into Pastoral Care services there and at Humana Hospital, Our Lady of Prompt Succor and C’est la Vie Independent Living Center. From 1995 to 2001 she served as a clerical assistant at St. Michael Catholic School in Crowley. In 2008, she was chosen as the Nun of the Year in Crowley. She loved to show the beautiful plaque she received and share what that experience meant to her. Sr. Elsie’s last years were spent in the ministry of prayer and presence at Our Lady of Prompt Succor.  

Sr. Elsie’s love for nourishing others, evident in her years of working in food services, continued in her retirement years. She enjoyed fig preserves and took great delight in sharing with all the residents in the dining room whenever she received some. She made sure that everyone was given an opportunity to share in her bounty. Sr. Elsie spent countless hours creating beautiful afghans and baby caps. She memorized the pattern for her famous angel afghans for babies, which brought delight to many new mothers and grandmothers. She also had a great love for children. During her years as a resident at Prompt Succor, she would visit the children at Opelousas Catholic to tell stories and deliver scapulars. She was well known and loved by the students and faculty. She welcomed every child as though she or he were the only child that mattered.  

Sr. Elsie wore the silver heart she received when she pronounced her perpetual vows every day. It symbolized her devotion to her Marianite Congregation and her love for Mary, Our Lady of Seven Dolors. We thank God for her many years of generous, compassionate service and we thank Sr. Elsie for the many ways she nurtured the young, fed the hungry and ministered to the elderly and the lonely.

To celebrate her life, a wake service was held on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 8:00 AM at St. Landry Church, Opelousas, LA followed by the Mass of the Resurrection at 10:00 AM with burial in St. Landry Cemetery in Opelousas, LA.