Sister Noëlla was born on the family farm near Glen Nevis, Ontario on December 18, 1933 to Marie-Louise Lascelle and Conrad Séguin. Noëlla was her mother’s seventh child and her father’s first. Her mother’s first husband, Conrad’s older brother, had died and left her with six children. Noëlla’s two brothers were born later.
She attended the first three years of school in a French Catholic school in Dalhousie. When the family moved to her mother’s former homestead, she transferred to St. Margaret’s School at Glen Nevis which was staffed by the Sisters of Providence. Later she attended Maryville Abbey as a day student.
She entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul on August 15, 1950. Two years later she went to St. Michael’s High School in Belleville and then proceeded to Teachers’ College in Toronto for two summers while teaching during the year. After she pronounced her Final Vows on August 15, 1955, she attended Toronto Teachers’ College for a full year. Her teaching assignments were in Kingston at St. John’s and Holy Family Schools. She also taught in Trenton, Prescott, Montreal, King City and Gananoque. As she was completing her BA studies at the University of Ottawa she was assigned as Principal of St. Carthagh’s School in Tweed. Due to health problems, she left Tweed in 1980. After some rest and renewal, she took some library courses and resumed teaching as a librarian at Georges Vanier School in Belleville in September 1982 until she retired in June 1989.
During the following year she helped with chapel duties at the motherhouse, attended a 3-month renewal program, participated in a two-week European tour and ended with a two-month Pastoral Care Course in Ottawa. She was then assigned as Hostess at Providence Spirituality Centre where she remained for the next nine years. She then enjoyed four months of sabbatical studies at Pittsfield, New Hampshire. This was followed by a few years of Pastoral Care at Providence Manor.
Sister Noella died peacefully at the motherhouse on July 17, 2025.
The Reception of the Body was Friday, July 25 at 3:30 p.m. Her three nephews were present for the Vigil Service which followed and shared their memories of Sister during the service.
The Mass of Christian Burial, held on July 26, 2025 was presided over by Msgr. Joseph Lynch who also delivered the homily.