Clare Blanchette, CSJ
1920-April 2, 2009
Perhaps even Clare didn’t know what the dawn of a new day held for her. She was resting comfortably, her dear friend Mary sat beside her, holding her hand. Then Clare simply looked at Mary, closed her eyes and died.
… but how can we really say she died? We can’t. Personally and as a community, we know that Clare’s life continues and, really, has only just begun.
Clare, or Bernice as she was first named, was the fifth child born to Clare McGuire and Leo Blanchette in Staples, Minnesota. She was first taught by the Benedictine Sisters and later by the Sisters of St. Joseph at the College of St. Catherine. A few months after graduating from the college, Clare joined the Sisters of St. Joseph and upon completing the novitiate, began teaching high school in Graceville and Bird Island, Minnesota, and then on to St. John’s Academy in Jamestown, North Dakota. In 1957, according to her own account, she reluctantly gave up instructing high school students, especially the boys she so enjoyed teaching, and joined the sociology department at the College of St. Catherine.
Clare was an excellent teacher. What characterized her life, characterized her teaching: she was honest and straight forward, gentle and respectful, calm and peaceful. As a teacher of sociology she based her instruction on the social teaching of the Catholic Church. She provided her stu-dents, certainly with knowledge, but more with principles of justice and dignity that would characterize their lives. As some of these students went on to graduate degree programs, new instructors would acknowledge the depth of their earlier education and training.
For a number of years Clare worked at Neighborhood House in West St. Paul where she coordinated programs for the national Office of Economic Opportunity and for local social service agencies. She gave people a voice in identifying the services they needed. “My job is one of guiding, rather than leading,” she said.
Upon her retirement from St. Catherine’s, Clare directed her energy one mile east of St. Catherine’s to Cretin-Derham Hall where she assisted students with classroom assignments and supported staff by testing students and recording the results. She was accommodating to requests for help and well respected for her contributions.
As a CSJ community member Clare’s interaction and influence was ever so unassuming and ever so kind. She appreciated people and the distinctiveness of each person’s contribution to the broader community. As a member of the 1975 Congregational Chapter, Clare helped with the research involved in and the presentation of the Pluralism Study, a landmark CSJ study acknowledging the profound unity of CSJ members coming from diverse backgrounds of world views and church experiences.
Daily life, for Clare, meant newspapers, radio and TV reports and analysis, conversation about world events and the excitement surrounding the election of Barack Obama. During these many months of the economic downturn, Clare paid special attention to business news, national and international.
Oh, she had a good time traveling! Visiting her step-mother in Canada; later on to England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland with her friend Ann Denise; a family reunion in London and Paris; the Gaspe Peninsula . . . and rides into the Minnesota countryside. Sundays often meant scrambled eggs and toast at a neighborhood restaurant. (Despite the urging of friends, she never ordered anything else.) . . . and the occasional half-a-steak and baked potato supper at another restaurant.
Throughout her life Clare experienced the joy of many friendships simply because she was so ordinary. She acknowledged the innate goodness of people, had a wonderful sense of humor, and accepted the events of her changing life.
Today we may think that our lives have changed because Clare is no longer visibly present among us. We need only to reflect and ask her to hold our hands as life comes full circle.
Clare Blanchette, CSJ, died April 2nd, 2009, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Paul. A Mass of Resurrection was celebrated for her at Bethany Convent on April 6th. Interment was in Resurrection Cemetery, Mendota Heights. She is survived by her close friend, Mary Calder, CSJ; sisters Renee Arzt, Louise Mountain, and Jean Blanchette; brother Philip; and the Sisters of St. Joseph and Consociates. She was preceded in death by her parents and by her sisters Agatha Sherlock and Rita Dunnigan.
