Marie Henriette Suzanne Aubert was raised in a small village in France, near Lyon. At the age of two, she fell through an icy pond and was left temporarily blind and physically disabled. This, along with the death of her brother, led her to care deeply for those with disabilities. Her health condition slowed her education, but Suzanne eventually recovered, and thrived at school under the care of the Benedictine Sisters of La Rochette. Following French custom at the time, Suzanne’s parents arranged for her to be married, but Suzanne refused. Her mother sought the council of St. John Vianney who affirmed Suzanne’s decision.
In 1860, she left her hometown and set sail to New Zealand as a missionary. She and the other French-speaking women wanted to serve the Māori people and eventually moved to Hawkes Bay to do so. To help other missionaries and priests minister to the Māori people, she created an English-Māori dictionary, a French-Māori book of phrases, and a Māori prayer book. She then moved to Hiruharama and taught the Māori customs and language to a few Sisters of St. Joseph so they could teach in the schools. She taught catechism and helped the sick. She soon became known for her nursing skills and studied medicinal properties of native plants. While this outreach was well received by the locals, the order eventually decided to leave that area.
Suzanne continued serving, moving to Wellington. Again, the locals appreciated the work being done, but those in charge did not like the direction it was going. To continue the work, Suzanne eventually founded the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion. She returned to Wellington and her order continued providing medical care free of charge to the poor of New Zealand. She died in 1926 and many came to pay their respects at her funeral.