It may be hard to determine exactly when Sr. Michaeline’s deep connection to education began. Some say it started when she was only five years old.
When it came time to decide what high school to attend, she concluded that her mother’s advice that St. Mary’s Dominican High School would be best was correct.
"At the time, the faculty was mostly Dominican Sisters, with a few lay teachers,” Sr. Michaeline recalls. “I joined the Legion of Mary, was a volunteer with the Eucharistic Dominicans and visited the Home for the Incurables where we read and wrote letters for the residents, and taught CCD classes in the Bayou towns.”
After graduating college with a Masters in Education, she began her early work serving as principal at Holy Ghost Parish in Hammond, Louisiana.
Then came a turning point.
The Baton Rouge bishop called her and asked if she would be interested in serving as the superintendent.  “I told him that I did not think I was the one for that job but then I met with the prioress and she told me …if the Lord is calling you, give it a chance.”
She served as superintendent for 32 years and became known for her high standards, fierce work ethic, and dedication to students - as someone who cared deeply about the faith formation of the children and their families. Sr. Michaeline worked with area business owners to establish a scholarship program for the poorer schools in the diocese.
A proponent of making Catholic schools affordable for all, she helped form a committee of business leaders, which raised money that helped families. "At that time, there was no active parent organization. I revitalized the Diocesan Home and School Organization, which models for local parent clubs,” she recalled.
A hallmark of Sr. Michaeline’s service has been how she has faced challenges, armed with faith and determination, to find resolutions. One of those challenges came in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. Thousands were displaced and schools obliterated and Baton Rouge schools received thousands of displaced students.
Sr. Michaeline testified on the devastation before the US Congress to the Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, as the Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.
She noted the impact of Hurricane Katrina by saying, “It is not just the physical dislocation for the students, there is also the psychological aspect. These children have spent most, if not all, of their lives in one school. They have built friendships and bonds with both fellow students and faculty, and now their world is upside down. They find themselves in strange, sometimes overcrowded or make-shift classrooms, with unknown peers, and different instructors. Not only have they lost their homes, but they have lost one of the most important aspects of their lives, their school. In four of the severely impacted counties, 61,000 students of the 187,000 total student population attend nonpublic schools from pre-K through grade 12. Most of these students come from low to middle-income families who are making a great financial sacrifice to send their children to a school of their choice for academic, religious, and safety reasons."
She went on to testify, “We strongly support the president’s proposal to assist all students, regardless of the type of school they attend. A Katrina scholarship or an equal entitlement certificate or any other funding instrument that Congress deems appropriate will allow the displaced families to place their own children in nonpublic schools like their former schools.”
Sr. Michaeline was unwavering in tapping resources and bringing everyone together to help the schools. She recalled, “By the Grace of God we had electricity. By January, most schools were back to normal.”

At her retirement reception, her innovative ideas, unwavering commitment, and spiritual investment in the diocesan schools were noted. The president of the National Catholic Association presented her with an award recognizing her unwavering commitment to Catholic education.
Sr. Michaeline told the gathering that there were amazing accomplishments by the diocesan schools, “Through the help and sacrifices of school administration, faculties, staff, volunteers, students, and parents. God has done great things for me, and holy is His Name.”
In her decades as an educator, Sr. Michaeline has found joy working with students and their parents, “I feel that it is so important for their children to get to heaven.” Her belief is that Catholic education should not become an institution of learning only for those who can afford it.
In retirement, she can be found at St. Ann Church and National Shrine in Metairie, where she teaches and leads group discussions as a part of the Parish School of Religion program.
We can’t say thank you enough to Sr. Michaeline for the numerous students and families she has served, her dedication that continues to this day, and her immeasurable influence on others as a Dominican Sister of Peace.