LEWISTON – Sister Margaret Elaine Arcand, 87, (Sister Marie Eliane), a Dominican Sister of the Roman Congregation died Thursday, Aug. 19, at St. Marguerite d’Youville Pavilion after 67 years of religious profession.
Sister Margaret Elaine was born on June 19, 1917, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, daughter of Adrien and Beatrice (Lavoie) Arcand.
In 1935, she entered the Dominican Sisters in Valleyfield, Canada, where she also received the habit a year later.
On Aug. 16, 1937, she made her temporary profession in Valleyfield, Canada and on the same date in 1942, made her final profession in Sabattus. She received a B.S in Secondary Education and M.S. in Psychology and Guidance from Fordham University in New York, as well as an M.S. in Elementary Education from Richmond College in Staten Island, N.Y.
Throughout her whole religious life, Sister Margaret Elaine was an educator and religious education coordinator and ministered in Lewiston and Sabattus; Valleyfield, Canada; Staten Island, N.Y.; Phoenix, Ariz., and Des Moines, Iowa. She also held leadership positions within her local communities as treasurer and prioress and on the provincial level as coordinator of our lay Dominican associates.
At the age of 80, she retired from her position as religious education coordinator at St. Mary of Nazareth in Des Moines, Iowa, after 20 years of service there and was assigned to the community of Iowa City where she began to be involved in parish ministry at St. Wenceslaus Church visiting the sick and elderly.
As sister’s health began to fail, she returned to the Lewiston/Auburn area in 2002. Wherever Sister Margaret Elaine was asked to serve throughout her life, she was always aware of her calling as a Dominican Sister to spread God’s love and joy to all she met.
She is survived by one sister, Raymonde Lafleur and her husband, Roger, from Ottawa, Canada; several nieces and nephews; and her provincial and international Dominican Congregation.
She was predeceased by her parents, a brother, Claude Arcand, and a sister, Marie- Paule Souliere from Ottawa.
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