Renaud, Marie Helen Lena

• Sister Lena Renaud, SOS

Born 4 November 1925 in McGregor, Ontario, daughter of Ulric Renaud and Estelle Meloche; entered 21 January 1949; first vows 15 August 1951; final vows 15 August 1956; died 17 February 2014.

Born on a farm in the southwestern Ontario Colchester North Township of Essex County, Lena attended local schools and the Pines, the Ursuline high school for girls in Chatham, graduating in 1945. She entered on January 21, 1949, professing first vows in the Motherhouse chapel on August 15, 1951.

Within a week after first vows, Sister Renaud was posted to Winnipeg for further high school studies at St. Mary's Academy before admittance to the Normal School in Winnipeg, where she earned a teacher's certificate in 1953. For the next 35 years, she served in Camp Morton as a teacher, community, and parish worker. From 1964, Sister Renaud served as superior of the Camp Morton mission. Drawing from her rural background, she brought practical education into the one-room schools with eight grades of King Edward School No. 2 (1953-1960), and Bismark school, Berlo (1960-1967) through the 4-H Club activities, carpentry, hockey and baseball. When the one-room rural schools were closed, she transferred to Gimli (1967-1983), where she taught until retirement. She was active in Inclusion Canada [formerly Canadian Association for Retarded Children] and she assumed executive positions in the Gimli Branch of the Manitoba Teachers Society. She received a centennial medal from Manitoba History Society in 1971 and a Gimli Community Service Award in 1972.

As the longest-serving Sister of Service at Camp Morton, she also lived for 25 years with the foundress Sister Catherine Donnelly, who retired to this first Western mission in 1956. Sister Renaud's apostolate was captured in a1980 episode about Sister Catherine Donnelly in the CBC-TV series of Man Alive. Officially installed as an Extraordinary Minister of Eucharist in 1971, Sister Renaud served as assistant pastor, wearing an alb, led the Service of the Word, visiting the shut-ins and director of altar servers and the choir.

When the Camp Morton mission closed in 1988, Sister Renaud and Sister Margaret Murphy moved to the Toronto Motherhouse where she served as superior (1988-1994). Back in Western Canada, she was appointed assistant superior (1994-2001) in the Regina house until it was closed. In returning to Toronto, she joined the retired sisters at Scarborough Court (2001-2005) and at La Salle Manor (2005-2014), where a woodworking shop was created for her. She died at La Salle Manor on February 17, 2014 at the age of 88. The wake service and funeral mass were held in the chapel of LaSalle Manor with burial following at the community plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.

Created by F Rousselle June 25, 2025.
Revised by F Rousselle June 27, 2025.

Biographical sketch adapted for brevity from complete biography written by SOS congregational archivist MC Havey.