Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy. (Psalm 33:2-3)

Sister Marie Duchesne, Mary Lavin, was born to James and Mary Lavin (nee Doggett) in Sydney on 24 May 1933. She was the second of their three children and their only daughter. Her two brothers, Patrick and Ignatius, have predeceased her.

On Tuesday, 14 October, Duchesne realised her life’s goal when Jesus gently took her to himself. She was ninety-three years of age and in the seventy-third year of her religious profession. To Duchesne’s sister-in-law, Patricia, her many nieces and nephews and their families, and to her friends, we offer our deepest sympathy and the support of our prayers. You know well her deep love for you, her pride and joy in you, and her gratitude to you.

Duchesne’s father, James, had migrated from Ireland. He worked as a storeman and packer, and Mary was a homemaker. These were the years of the Great Depression and, as for most families of those years, life held its struggles. James and Mary were strong in their faith and Duchesne was baptised, Mary, and consecrated to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at the then “old” St Bernard’s Church, Mascot, just four days after her birth by the Parish Priest, Father Edward Teehan.

Duchesne grew up in Mascot, attending the then St. Bernard’s Primary School and later Our Lady of Sacred Heart College, Kensington. On completing her Intermediate Certificate in 1948, she worked as a secretary before entering the Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on 31 May 1950 at Hartzer Park, Burradoo. She made her First Profession on 6 January 1952 and her Final Profession on 6 January 1955.

Duchesne’s music career began with her mother who was herself very musical and sought to share her talent with her daughter from an early age. Duchesne continued her music throughout her school life, being taught by Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Between 1953 and 1987 she studied piano and later, the harpsichord, under various internationally well-known teachers at Trinity College, London, Catholic University, Washington, Los Angeles College of Music, Kodaly School of Music, Hungary, and the Australian Society of Musicology and Composition. The Director of the latter in recommending her for admission as Fellow in Musicology and Licentiate in Composition wrote, “Fellowship is reserved for candidates by whom achievement at the highest level is clearly demonstrated, and whose work can be considered as significant original contribution to musicology or composition. Licentiate reflects meritorious achievement at a high level.”

Duchesne’s accomplishments in music are nothing less than extraordinary She can play the piano, organ, clarinet, flute and various stringed instruments, including the harpsichord. She has published widely, with the words to her compositions written by Sisters Delia Donohue and Dain Inglis and the late Juliette Baker, Margaret Ellis and Yvonne Ellis, all Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. She has produced and directed operettas with school students and was a valued adjudicator with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, among others.

On a lighter note, some years ago Duchesne was approached by two soldiers from the Randwick Barracks who requested that she teach them music. When she asked why they had sought her out, they replied, “Because you have the most letters after your name!”.

In the context of the canonisation of St. Peter To Rot by Pope Leo XIV in Rome last Sunday, it is noteworthy that Duchesne wrote an English setting for the Mass, Misa To Rot, for the Catechists at Petro to Rot College, Vunapope. It was first performed there in 1990. (Peter To Rot was martyred during World War II for continuing to practise and preach the Catholic Faith, despite it being forbidden by the Japanese occupying forces.)

The above could suggest that Duchesne spent her life simply studying music: that is far from the truth! She taught music in our schools in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Northern Territory and Papua New Guinea and was a visiting lecturer in Kiribati, the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji and Europe. She transcribed the music of Papua New Guinea and Fiji and submitted articles for various ethnomusicology magazines. To ensure that she could communicate well with students from non-English speaking backgrounds, she completed a correspondence course, Teaching English as a Second Language, at Massey University, New Zealand.

Although Duchesne was remarkably gifted, were you to ask her what she did, she would reply, “I am a Daughter of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart”. Despite her physical disabilities, she was always with the community for daily Mass and prayer and was ever ready to assist with the daily chores. She would entertain us with stories of her adventures overseas and in the music world. She was most obliging in responding to any request and if she felt she may have hurt someone, she was quick to apologise.

Her hands were never idle! She had a heart for the poor and spent every available moment making children’s clothes, among other items, to be sent to our Sisters in mission territories, particularly Bathurst Island and South Africa. Each year she held a Mothers’ Day stall at the College and in various Sydney Parishes to sell her handicrafts to raise money for the poor.

Duchesne suffered poor health for many years without complaint. Recently, realising that there was significant risk involved but knowing there was not an alternative, she accepted to have major surgery at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick. Sadly, the surgery was unsuccessful and on 9th October she suffered multiple organ failure. One of us remained at Duchesne’s bedside during her time in hospital and Sister M Ancilla was with her when, in the early afternoon of 14th October, she surrendered herself into the loving hands of the God whom she had loved and served so well.

We praise God for his many gifts to Sr M Duchesne.
We thank God and the Lavin family for their gift of her to our religious family.
We honour you, Duchesne, and thank you, and we give you back to God,
grateful and privileged that you have been our Sister and our friend.
May your noble soul rest in peace.

Moya Hanlen FDNSC
Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Kensington
22 October 2025.