The Former Nun Who Killed Herself

Only if she just became patient, I know this would not happen.

Jeanne-Paule Marie Deckers entered the monastery in 1959. In religion, her name was Sr. Luc-Gabriel, and she was well known in the monastery for her artistic talent (painting, singing, etc.) Before she entered the monastery she was an art teacher. In 1961, encouraged by her fellow sisters, she recorded the song "Dominique". As far as I know, it is the only #1 Belgian song in the USA. She was known to many as Soeur Sourire - Sister Smile. She even had the chance to be at Ed Sullivan's Show. Her popularity rose.

But in 1967, she left the monastery to live as a lay woman. If I am not mistaken, she became a Third Order Dominican.

There were several reasons presented why she left: she's tired of monastic life since it's very outdated, she's very unhappy with the changes brought by the Vatican II, she wanted to make more money, and many others. Philips, her producer, got her money. You might encounter that her earnings went to the convent too. This is because of her vow of poverty.

She left the monastery and became a church-rebel: even to the point of writing the song, "Glory to God for the Golden Pill". She even supported ideas of married Roman Catholic priests (I read that she said before, I may even marry a Dominican and we'll have Dominican babies), of the remark of John Lennon (We're more famous than Jesus now.)

Outside the monastery, she wasn't very successful. She seemed to fail. She cannot use the name Soeur Sourire because of copyright issues with the recording company. She used the name Luc Dominique instead, but the world looked for the Soeur Sourire in black and white habit.

She continued to go down, together with her alcohol addictions, depression, as the Belgian government chased her, telling her she owed them US$63,000. Together with Annie Pecher, her lover, she wrote, "We are at the end - both financially and morally. We have no ideals anymore, only God. But that does not make us sick. We return to the Lord,"

They killed themselves on March 1985 through drug overdose (barbiturates), not knowing that Jeannine will receive that day US$300,000 for royalties.

Patience is really a virtue. I hope all us will learn from her story.