PHOTO: Sr. Anne-Marie Bourque, center, chaplain at d’Youville Pavilion, donated $700 of a $1,000 grant she received to the St. Mary’s Nutrition Center Food Pantry, and the other $300 to a family in need. (Submitted photo)
LEWISTON — Sister Anne-Marie Bourque, a Sister of Mercy, is also chaplain to the residents, patients, and families at St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion, one of New England’s largest nursing homes.
She is well known, highly respected and an inspiration to many. But she’s so humble that when word came that she had received a $1,000 grant, Sister Anne-Marie thought it had to be a phishing attempt.
“I was skeptical. Me? There is so much deception enabled by hackers on the internet, I was cautious about responding,” she said. “After ascertaining that this was legitimate, I began the happy task of daydreaming about how I would spend another’s money. Oh, to be a philanthropist on a sister’s budget!”
Bourque donated $700 to St. Mary’s Nutrition Center, which operates a food pantry, community gardens, and offers fresh food access points in Lewiston. The center is also delivering food to nearly 300 households per week.
“I attended the food preparation classes and community suppers and interacted with the immigrants involved in these programs. The inclusivity was palpable,” she said. “I saw firsthand the value of the outreach to neighbors of great diversity and the reciprocity of giving and receiving that takes place in such an environment.”
She gave the remaining $300 to a d’Youville staff person and their family, who was in need of assistance.
Bourque has worked in St. Mary’s Health System since 2016, first at St. Mary’s Hospital and now at the pavilion. She has a special dedication to people in need that has not wavered in the turbulent times of the pandemic, those who work with her said.
“Sister Anne-Marie is such a deserving recipient as she has certainly been on the front lines this year,” said Elizabeth Keene, vice president of mission integration for St. Mary’s Health System. “She sees her visits with patients and residents as sacred encounters in which to offer prayer, comfort, and encouragement.”
Bourque said, “Have you ever wondered why you are living in this moment in time? I have given this great thought during the pandemic. Why did God place me here and why now? With a lockdown and no visits other than outdoor or window visits, many residents became sad and lost their zest for life. Telephone calls can’t replace a warm hug or the healing touch of a loved one. Some became angry at d’Youville for imposing the lockdown on them. I think they knew it was for the protection of the whole community, but they needed a place to focus their anger and frustration. With different staff each shift and different therapists from day to day, I became the one sure thing for all 175 of them.”
She added, “They knew me and they looked forward to my visits. I became for them a sacred receptacle of their trust. I listened and responded as I thought Jesus would – with compassion and love for them.”
Many passed away, not directly from COVID-19, but from the heartache of isolation and the stress of their altered environment. “In December alone, there have been 10 deaths,” she said. “The sacraments are extremely important to our Catholic residents. My greatest challenge has been getting to as many as possible with Holy Communion and referring to our priest chaplain, Fr. Samy, those needing the Anointing of the Sick.”
She said that turning away in times of need isn’t an option. “As a Sister of Mercy, I am attuned to the needs of the poor and the sick,” she said. “Chaplaincy fits in nicely with the charism of my religious community. I feel especially drawn to residents who are dying and with their families. It feels a bit like being a midwife as I assist in the transition from one stage of life to another. I am happy to get up each day and come to be with my colleagues, staff and residents, as together, we respond to God’s call to be merciful to one another.”
She said she sees priorities in others changing — for the better.
“People are reevaluating the important things in life,” Bourque said. “More money, greater success at work, better social standing, and more goods have been replaced by more family time, a greater awareness of other’s needs, humility, and an understanding that when we say we are all in this together, we mean that the common good is good for each,” she said. “When you thrive, I thrive. When you succeed, I succeed. We are one human family.”
