Veronica Benoit

Sister Veronica Benoit, SUSC (Sr. Veronica Marie) died September 21 at D'Youville Senior Care, Lowell, MA at the age of 88. A native of Somerville, Sr. Veronica was the daughter of the late Frederick and Emilie (Dion) Benoit. In addition to her Holy Union Sisters, she is survived by her sisters Margaret Winfield of Tewksbury, Anna Raphael, of Somerville, Theresa Karr, of Littleton, Marceline Murphy of Shirley, a brother-in-law, Al Morrow, of Somerville and a sister-in-law, Helen Benoit, of Saugus, as well as several nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Her sister, Bertha Morrow and her brother, Freddy predeceased her. Sister Veronica graduated from Our Lady of Pity Grammar School and attended Our Lady of Pity High School in North Cambridge. She entered Holy Union Sisters in Groton, MA on September 8, 1955 and professed her final vows on July 27, 1964. For over fifty years, Sr. Veronica ministered as a cook in convents in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Her last assignment was at St. Mary's Villa, Lowell, the former retirement community for Holy Union Sisters. In addition to her cooking duties, Sr. Veronica offered service to the elderly sisters by driving them to doctors' appointments and family visits. In her retirement, she taught first-graders at Immaculate Conception Religious Education and served as a Eucharistic Minister at Wentworth Nursing Home and Saints Medical Center in Lowell. Sr. Veronica was a faithful caregiver for nearly twenty years for Sr. Doris Carbonneau, visiting her regularly and seeing to all her needs. In 1996 at the age of seventy-three, she spent two months with Holy Union Sisters ministering in Haiti. While a resident at Summer Place in North Chelmsford she suffered a stroke and was no longer able to live independently. She gladly joined the residents at D'Youville Senior Care in June, 2008. Her good humor and positive attitude enabled her to welcome new residents there. She was a member of the Advisory Board.brAll services will be held at Immaculate Conception Church, 144 E. Merrimack St. Lowell on Wednesday, September 26. The wake will be at 11:15 followed by the Prayer Vigil at 11:45 and the Mass of Christian Burial at 12:30. Burial will follow at N. Cambridge Catholic Cemetery, Rindge Ave. , Cambridge. Arrangements are by the JA Healy Sons Funeral Home.Donations in Sr. Veronica's memory may be made to the Mission Advancement Office of the Holy Union Sisters, P.O. Box 410, Milton, MA 02186.