Mary Catherine was born on a farm in Littleton, Colorado, on May 5, 1916, to Louise (Livers) and William Thompson, both natives of Kentucky. She was the eldest of seven children, four girls and three boys. She was given the name of Mary Elizabeth Catherine at baptism, but was called Mary Catherine, after her two grandmothers. She wrote, "I was loved by everyone and had big brown eyes with blond curly hair. My dad and his five brothers made a lot over me, they say. ” At an early age, Mary Catherine helped her mother with the younger children and in the kitchen." We lived on the farm most of my early years. Mother would let me make bread or donuts. I would stand on a chair to iron the handkerchiefs with a flat iron, as we did not have electricity. ” She learned many lessons from her parents from which she would benefit the rest of her life. She loved to help her father in the garden, putting the cabbage or tomato plants in the holes he made with the hoe. In her autobiography she wrote of her love of the mountains and the beauty of the outdoors. She loved riding horses bareback and did so until she entered.

Mary Catherine went to school in Pueblo, Colorado, and was taught by the Sisters of Charity of Mother Seton. For part of one year she attended public school. She had learned of Clyde through our magazine, Tabernacle and Purgatory, to which her grandmother subscribed. When she was ten years old, she wrote asking about the nuns, and was sent information about St. Joseph’s Academy. When it was time for her to go to high school, she asked if she could attend the Academy. She wrote, "1 went to school at Clyde to really see what the monastery was like, for I love prayer and adoration'' She worked her way through school by serving at table, cleaning halls, and sewing,

Mary Catherine entered as a postulant on September 8, 1931, and continued to go to school that year. One of her happiest days was when she received the novice’s habit and veil on February 4, 1933. She made her first monastic profession on October 27, 1934, receiving the name Sr. Mary Lucina, and final profession on October 27, 1940. At one time, three of her sisters were part of our Congregation, but they left to pursue their vocation elsewhere.

Sr. M. Lucina spent the first sixteen years of her monastic life at Clyde. She worked in the printery, infirmary, baking, and canning. She also helped with the plumbing. In 1947, she was transferred to our monastery in Tucson and spent the next 48 years there, growing in love for her Benedictine, Eucharistic vocation. There she worked in CD, as portress, as aspirancy director, and as sacristan. Sr.  Lucina helped with processing the dates from our trees and also made candy from the imperfect ones. She also upholstered most of the chairs at one time or another throughout the house. 

Sr. M. Lucina moved to St. Benedict Health Care Center in 1996, where she continued to be a vital presence and an inspiration to others. Weakened by flu, on April 17, 1999, barely fifteen minutes after she had been visiting with one of our younger members, Sr. Lucina passed from this world to eternity as the monastic community was celebrating Eucharist. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in the St. Louis monastery chapel on April 18, with burial in Mt. Calvary cemetery at our Clyde monastery the following day.