The Dominican Sisters are mourning the loss of their beloved Sr Diane who died on Tuesday, March 18, only thirteen months after God had already take away from them their own Sr Maria Goretti on February 18, 2007 and in Holy Week of that same year, Sisters Rose Madeleine and Martin of St Mary. It is natural to question “Why Lord?” especially in a time of scarcity of vocations to the religious life.

Pondering over this, the thought that came to my mind was that this cycle of life and death is in keeping with the motto the foundress, Mother St Dominic of the Cross, gave to her religious congregation, “In cruce vita” (in the cross there is life).

This faith attitude was evident at the very start of the implantation of the Congregation in the soil of Trinidad at the Cocorite Leprosarium on March 21, 1868.

Fifteen sisters came from France in 1868 and one year later, in the space of two months, nine of them died from an epidemic of yellow fever in Trinidad.

However, more volunteers from France offered themselves to be sent to Trinidad to replace their deceased sisters and the admirable work of dedication to those in need has continued ever since.

Life is truly stronger that death as the life and death of our loving Saviour Jesus Christ has so perfectly shown. What is striking is the fact that Jesus is not for numbers: he chose twelve to continue his work on earth; to them he gave the command: “Go out and teach all nations…I am with you till the end of time.”

Many other examples of small numbers can be found throughout the Bible. As Dominican Sisters let us go forward in this 21st century and small as we may be, let a spirit of faith, hope and trust in God fire each one of us to continue the good works of those who went before us.

Marlene Jagdeo was born in Port-of-Spain on October 19, 1944. Her father, Joseph, an accountant by profession, and his wife, Thelma brought up a family of seven children, three boys and four girls.

Though baptised an Anglican, at the age of 17 Marlene chose to become a Roman Catholic and a member of the St Paul’s parish in Couva. She was educated at the Holy Faith Convent secondary school where she graduated brilliantly. She then entered the Teachers’ Training College.

Was it through the moving of the Holy Spirit that Marlene felt attracted to the chapel of the Holy Name Convent? The fact is that she was fond of going there to listen to the praying and singing of the Divine Office by the Dominican Sisters.

The day came when she asked to join them. Marlene was received in their Novitiate on February 3, 1964; she was certainly at the place God wanted her to be because she was admitted to make her religious Profession on April 3, 1967.

From then on Marlene, whose name was changed to that of Mary Diane, was assigned to various Dominican communities where she taught in the Sisters’ schools.

She was much appreciated by the Sisters who found her very gifted and hard working, conscientious and zealous in the discharge of her duties, a good organiser with a keen sense of responsibility, sometimes hasty, yet fraternal, open and frank.

A major turn in her life took place in 1974 when she was asked by the then Rector of the Regional Seminary, Fr Michel de Verteuil, to join the academic staff.

Sr Diane had been a student at the Seminary from 1971 and in 1974 she acquired the Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology. Sr Diane had been noted for her excellent performance in her studies. “You will be the first woman to teach at the Seminary” said Fr Michel to her, “and I know that you will put the womanly touch around here.”

Sr Diane was granted authorisation by her superiors to go ahead and she joined the Seminary staff in 1974. The Dean of Studies, Dr Everard Johnston, greeted her with these words: “We believe that you will be a great asset to the Seminary staff and that you will make a significant contribution to its work.”

After three years (1974-1977) of spending herself in theological education at the Seminary, one day the rector proposed to her a resumption of her studies, with the view of acquiring higher university degrees.

Sr Diane Jagdeo

With the consent and support of her superiors, Sr Diane left Trinidad and enrolled at the Yale University in the USA where in 1978 she graduated as Master in Sacred Theology. Then on the advice of the Fr Michel, she continued studying. She was admitted to the Catholic University of America where, in 1986 she qualified as a Doctor of Philosophy.

To add to the list of her academic successes, in 1996, she acquired a certificate in Practical Theology and Communications at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

After being enriched by these years of study, Sr Diane took her place at the Regional Seminary. With great zeal and competence she taught many students until a terrible sickness- cancer, obliged her to resign in 2007.

Sr Diane travelled extensively through the Caribbean, the USA, Canada, France, Rome and Nairobi in Africa. The purpose was for her to attend or give courses, seminars, retreats, etc. she was very much in demand.

In 1988, at the invitation of the then parish priest, Fr Mc Phillip, she established a rural development programme aimed at helping young unemployed women to attain basic skills. The project was called “St Catherine’s Centre for Integral Development.”

In 1991, the then Archbishop, Most Rev Anthony Pantin, gave permission for the building of a centre, which would also house a small community of Sisters and lay persons who would be collaborative partners in the project.

The plight of children’s education came to the fore and the people requested that something be done. Here was born another project the “St Catherine’s Little Ones” pre-school, which later gave rise to the erection of a new pre-school under the Ministry of Education’s special programme and the birth of the “St Catherine’s Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Centre”.

By this time the classes for young women came to an end as Government-sponsored programmes such as YTEPP began to become more available.

There was no stopping the flow of creativity and ideas as something new again emerged, based on the experience of a contemplative way of life. “Catherine’s Well” a space and place for all who want renewal of soul, a retreat or simply to come apart, and where one lived with the community and experienced their way of life.

Sr Diane, up to the time of her death was working on accommodation more persons for retreats etc. and also building a chapel in order to facilitate the vision she had for Catherine’s Well. The chapel is still incomplete and the extra rooms not yet constructed, but it is hoped that her dream for this will soon be realised.

It is obvious that Sr Diane Jagdeo had the vocation of a pioneer in the Church’s life. When reflecting on all that she had done, this is what she wrote: “I have been, on the whole, greatly enriched by my experience at the Seminary, both spiritually and psychologically, in fact, in every way.

I have grown as a person in a way I may never have, were it not for this unique experience which forced me to re-examine my position as a religious woman. If I had not experienced the trust, openness, friendship and warmth of my Dominican Sisters, I would not have been able to cope with the demands made on me at the Seminary.

I was a young woman and, for some of the students, their first woman teacher. My Dominican sisters strengthened me in accepting the responsibility of not only preparing young men for their priesthood but also of working in an apostolate which my congregation does not run.”

Sr Diane died on Tuesday of Holy Week, too close to the great Paschal Triduum, therefore her funeral had to be postponed to Wednesday, March 26. 

It was celebrated at the Holy Name Convent Chapel in Port-of-Spain. Interment was at the Lapeyrouse Cemetery.

May she rest in peace in the glory of the Lord.