Sister Wilma Best

Liturgy of Christian burial for the late Sister Wilma Best, formerly Sister Mary Lucina, 74, a Sister of St. Martha of Antigonish, was held December 1 in St. Martha Chapel, Parkland Antigonish, with Father Conrad Edwards officiating. Sister Best died November 28, 2018, at Mary’s Court, Parkland Antigonish, in the 53rd year of her religious life. Cross bearer at the funeral Mass was Sister Jovita MacPherson. Pall carrier was Jacqueline Smowton. Readers were Sister Sandra Cooke and Sister Mary Dolores Sogz. Arlene Rutledge and Sister Marion Sheridan presented the offertory gifts. Music was provided by cantor Sister Catherine Ann MacGillivray, pianist Sheila Redden, Sister Florence Kennedy, Sister Mary Gouthro and leader of song Sister Lillian Gaudet. Pallbearers were Jim Muise, Dan Fougere, Duncan McMaster, Robert Rutledge, Kenneth MacAdam and Wayne Farrell. Born in Cheticamp, and making her home in Dingwall, Sr. Wilma was the oldest of two daughters born to Wilfred Roy and Mae (Duggan) Best. She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha on September 15, 1962. She pronounced her first temporary vows on August 15, 1965, and her perpetual vows on July 2, 1970. In 1970, she received her Junior Diploma in Education from St. Francis Xavier University, adding a further Diploma in Special Education from Dalhousie University, Halifax, in 1974. In 1981, she graduated with a BA and BEd from St. Francis Xavier. She taught in several areas in which the congregation was present. In Nova Scotia, she taught in Guysborough County, Pictou County, and Eskasoni. She also taught in Fort McMurray, Alberta. Her devotion to students who needed more assistance and a different approach to learning was evident in the many fond memories and stories that she shared. Sister Wilma moved more fully into parish ministry and received a Diploma in Parish Liturgy from Saint Paul University, Ottawa, in 1996. From the early 1990s until 2009, her gifts were shared in several parishes in the Diocese of Antigonish, as well as in chaplaincy at Cape Breton University. She also served the congregation in several capacities, including as local superior and general councillor. She was living and ministering in Inverness, Cape Breton, until illness brought her to Martha Place/Mary’s Court in Antigonish in 2018. She brought a sense of humour and a practical approach to life wherever she was sent. Her compassionate and prayerful presence was a comfort for individual people as well as the communities in which she lived and served. She loved history and learning the stories of people and their communities, and this provided her with a deep sense of connection to the world around her. She is survived by her sister, Marguerite (Geoff) Nash; niece, Jacqueline (Jeremy). Online condolences: www.clcurry.com