Sr. Ann Paul Chenard, Dc

MENANDS- Sister Ann Paul (Barbara) Chenard D.C. 96, passed away on Thursday January 30, 2025 at St. Louise House in Menands. Sister was born and raised in Biddeford, Maine on March 18, 1928, along with her twin sister Beverly, the seventh and eighth of nine children of N. Paul and Anna (Seavey) Chenard.

Sister Ann Paul attended a Catholic grade school and graduated from St. Andre High School in Biddeford in 1946.  She knew the Daughters of Charity through her aunt, Sister Blanche Chenard, who resided for many years at the Daughters of Charity hospital in Waterville, Maine.  Sister Ann Paul enrolled in the hospital’s nurse training program in 1947. After six months she decided to enter the Daughters in Emmitsburg, MD in July 1947.

Sister was prepared as an elementary school teacher and taught in a variety of grades for thirty-six years.  She found great joy in preparing special needs children for their First Communion.

She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from St. Joseph’s College in Emmitsburg and a Master’s degree in Education from Niagara University in Niagara, NY.

She served in schools in Hyattsville and Baltimore, MD; Greensboro, NC; Bridgeport, CT; and Troy, Utica, Syracuse and in Johnson City, NY,(where she was named “Teacher of the Year”), until 1986.

In 1986 she began serving in Pastoral Care at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, NY. She continued pastoral care in St. Catherine Laboure Nursing Home in Buffalo, NY.  A colleague in Rochester described her as “our saint”. She worked with patients and families in ICU, CCU, and Emergency Room. “Her gift of sharing prayer with patients brought spiritual solace and peace to many.”

Sister came to St. Louise House, Albany, NY in 2014 where she served in the Ministry of Prayer until her death.  Her joy was evident to all. She loved to be with Sisters who were near death to assist them with prayer.

Sister Ann Paul was preceded in death by her parents, by brothers Robert, Lawrence, Richard and Philip; by sisters Frances Callahan, Beverly Mooney, Patricia Pinetta and Alicia Casavant.

She is survived by her brother-in-law, Donald Pinetta (Saco, Maine), by many nieces and nephews, by friends and her Sisters in Community.

A Wake service will be held for Sr. Ann Paul on Monday, February 3, 2025 from 4-7 pm. at DePaul Residence, 96 Menands Rd., Menands.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 in DePaul Chapel at 10:30 am.  Interment will follow in St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands.

Donations may be made to Daughters of Charity, 4330 Olive Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63108.