Sr Marie (97) lives in the Little Sister of the Poor's Brockville community and still assists at the order's Sacred Heart rest-home and hospital, visiting residents and helping at meal times.
She declined to be interviewed by the Otago Daily Times, saying she had "said everything she had to say" when interviewed about her 70th anniversary, Brockville Community leader Mother Bridget said on Monday.
She had asked that only a small function be held at the community to mark the anniversary, Mother Bridget said.
Sr Marie was born Annie Fitzpatrick in Arrowtown. Her association with the order goes back almost 80 years.
She told the ODT five years ago she said she was drawn to the Little Sisters of the Poor when she was 18, after a visit to the former Andersons Bay home.
After training in Dunedin and Sydney, she took her vows on June 10, 1936.
She was posted to a restrom Britain and allied countries were at first kept prisoner in the Mother House and later transported to a prison camp.
Sr Marie spent several weeks there before unexpectedly being freed.
After the war, she served in Hong Kong, Canton, Sri Lanka and France, not returning to New Zealand until 1962. She left Dunedin again between 1968 and 1975, taking up postings in Auckland, Australia and Samoa.
Sr Marie was Mother Superior of the Andersons Bay home from 1975 until her retirement in 1992.
