She Just Keeps on Playing!
By Sister Zoe Ellen McClure
Imagine a woman in her eighties planning and executing all musical accompaniment to liturgies for the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities living at The Waters of Wexford near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Envision her then, doing the piano accompaniment for a SING ALONG for a large group of fellow residents.
That sounds like a lot.
Add 20 years to that woman’s age, and you’ve got Sister Therese Vaulet, one of our most senior Sisters.
Sister Therese brought her God-given musical ability to the convent when she entered in 1939. Born in Butler, Pennsylvania, Sister Therese attended Mt. Alvernia ‘prep,’ the school run by the Sisters of St. Francis and joined the community at age 17. She brought her God-given musical ability and soon became a teacher and minister of music and English. She taught many places, spent years living in and out of Mt. Alvernia, and, for a time, was a campus minister at the Indiana University of PA. Therese worked many years in communications and produced the Millvale sisters’ newsletter. For fun, she joined Holy Spirit Parish choir.
There were more years as a music minister to the Sisters living in the motherhouse. With the move to The Waters came more tickling the ivories and working with cantors. Several days after her May 18 birthday, she was at the piano and, along with another resident, led a hearty sing-along for 50-plus residents, including many Sisters. During a break from the singing, Sister Therese played a piano concerto that called for outstanding ability. She aced it!
