(1933-2025)

Near the end of her St. Catherine letter  dated January 26, 1981, Sister Mary Alice Naour wrote:

So I pray – and keep hoping – that my career  in music will indeed be a mission of love and service to others that they may indeed be brought closer to the love of the Father for them; that I, too, may grow closer to Him in His constant love for me.

Given that her music ministry spanned some fifty years and touched elementary schoolchildren, high school students, and her Adrian Dominican community itself, she most certainly aided many, many people in their experiences of connecting with God through music.

Mary Alice was born in Detroit on April 20, 1933, to Francois and Blanche Alice (Coté) Naour. She was the couple’s eighth child, following Estelle; Joseph, who died shortly after his birth; Jacqueline; John; George; Paul; and Jim. Another sister, Denise, was the ninth Naour sibling.

Francois, called Frank by his friends and Frenchy by his co-workers, was born in a small farming village near Brest, France, and came to the United States on a freighter in 1914 or 1915, when he was seventeen or eighteen years old. He originally settled in New Jersey, living with his oldest brother, but eventually found his way to Detroit. There, he became acquainted with a family of French heritage who had come to Detroit from Massachusetts several years earlier, the Cotés – and most especially, he got to know the family’s oldest child, Blanche. The two were married on August 8, 1917.

Mary Alice attended St. Ambrose School for all 12 years of her early education and enjoyed school and her Adrian Dominican teachers very much. She often rode her bike around the convent, hoping to see one of the Sisters, and loved helping them at every opportunity. In fact, she wrote, “I stayed around to help the ‘nuns’ so much that Mother would say that I should take my bed down to school.”

Read more about Sister Mary Alice (PDF)

 

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221. 

Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)

 

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

Recording of Sister Mary Alice's Memorial Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

Recording of Sister Mary Alice's Ritual of Remembrance - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as."

 

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