Mariette Payment was born in Montreal on January 11, 1927. When asked to speak about her childhood, she once said: “I grew up in a home filled with love, music and faith. Participation in the life of the Church was an important value for my parents.” She did all her schooling with the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. Convinced that God alone could accompany her in her search for happiness and for the absolute; she enters this community in 1949. She dedicated herself to teaching for twenty years, mostly in Outremont, Valleyfield (Teacher’s College) and in Saint-Lambert. She had obtained a doctorate degree from the Sorbonne University but this did not make her lose her natural simplicity.
After having worked as assistant secretary for the Assemblée des évêques du Québec for a year, she becomes the General Assistant. She served in this position from 1971 to 1981. Her enthusiasm will help her community to follow the turning-point given by the Second Vatican Council and by the Quiet Revolution. Her concern for social justice brings her to serve under the sky of Haiti as a missionary. In Papaye, together with the Petites Soeurs de Sainte-Thérèse, she collaborates at the creation and development of a Teacher’s Training School. She puts all her energy, creativity and openness to Haitian culture in this project. She becomes Superior General of her community at 60 years old. The unity of the institute was her primary value. With the members of her council she works at applying the Acts of the recent Chapter: promotion of justice, the status of women, apostolic community, reorganization of the province of Quebec, creation of a section dedicated to Missions.
After completing her term, her mission continued, both inside and outside of her congregation. She will be a local superior of her community, a volunteer to help the drop-outs and a member of the Carrefour Mousseau in Longueuil. In all her commitments, Sister Mariette always seeks for unity in diversity. She shares with others her vision and her numerous talents, bringing people together and keeping alive their enthusiasm for the mission.
