SCL - Key Persons
Anna Lee Dunning was born on June 12, 1921, in Miles City, Mont., the fourth of 13 children of Forest and Beatrice (Tucker) Dunning. She grew up on a farmstead in the Ashland-Otter Creek-Tongue River area. This simple, ranch-dwelling family endured poverty during long droughts and the Great Depression. Three wars personally affected the Dunning family, where six brothers and one sister were in the service but fortunately came home without serious injury. Anna Lee naturally inherited a strong work ethic, a profound respect for others, and deep roots that always reminded her of her resilient beginnings.
Before she met the SCLs, she knew about their origins from reading biographies of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac to whom the religious Community traces its origins. On August 21, 1951, at the age of 30, she entered the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, a Community she had already grown to love. She professed her final vows as Sister Marie Carmel on August 22, 1959.
For 23 years, her ministries included teaching in elementary and high schools across the west and mid-west, including three years as principal at Sacred Heart School in Falls City, Neb. She then shifted from education to healthcare. Upon completion of her clinical pastoral education, Sister Marie Carmel worked in many pastoral care capacities at a variety of hospitals. When she retired, Sister Marie Carmel dedicated her time to social justice advocacy, corresponding and doing outreach and prayer with women in the Kansas City area, and to her poetry.
Job Titles:
- Washington Post Journalist
John M and Theresa Williams on June 1, 2022 at 8:45 pm Such a beautiful soul and talented person. May she rest in peace, sending our prayers and sincere sympathy to her family and friends of SCL. John M and Theresa Holt-Williams Reply Courtney Brown on June 10, 2022 at 10:59 am Thank you for your patience and understanding. You truly will be missed. Reply
Darlyna Driscoll on November 30, 2021 at 8:36 pm Sister Peg will surely be missed. She brought so much joy where ever she went. always a blessing to those who knew her. Reply
So sorry to hear about Sr Mary Clare. She is a distant relative. Her mother, Hildegard was a sister to my cousin Don Lorsung's dad. Sr was a kind and caring person. Prayers for her and family. We have Srs of Charity nuns here in Louisville, Ky and in Bardstown. My brother in law was a priest chaplain for the nuns in Bardstown.
Diann Mueller on December 1, 2021 at 8:28 pm I'm so sorry to Sister Peg's family and also to her community. Although she has received her eternal reward in heaven, it leaves those left on earth to miss her. Reply
I enjoyed having Sister Rita as a teacher while attending St. Pius X HS and later as a colleague during my first year of teaching at SPX. Thankful for her patience and understanding.
Janet Robey-Schwartz on May 31, 2022 at 6:05 pm Thank you so much for your kindness. You will be missed. Reply Frank Verdusco on May 31, 2022 at 6:12 pm Sr Rita was larger than life when I was at St Pius. I enjoyed doing work for her in the darkroom where I learned a lot about photography. She was a great educator. RIP Sr Rita. Reply
Job Titles:
- Director of Latin American Missions
Hermana Esther entered the SCLs in 1987 and served a teacher in Peru for over 22 years. Hermana Esther became the Director of Latin American Missions in 2021.
Irene V. Hanley was born March 11, 1932, in Greeley, Neb., the eleventh of fourteen children of John and Mary (Ryan) Hanley. She graduated from St. Lawrence Grade School and Girls Central High School in Butte, Mont. In 1966, she received a B.S. in elementary education from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth, Kan.
She entered the SCL Community on Aug. 18, 1950, and professed vows as Sister Jean Mary on Aug. 15, 1952, and later returned to her baptismal name. She sometimes joked she had a "cradle vocation" due to her desire to be an SCL since first grade.
Sister Irene loved being an elementary teacher and served for 28 years in schools in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Illinois. Her quick smile and hearty laugh made her a hit with students.
During later summers, she took coursework in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and was accepted into a program at St. Joseph Hospital in Albuquerque, N.M. After certification, she served 10 years as a chaplain in De Paul Hospital in Cheyenne, Wyo. A hospital newsletter commented that she knew every employee by name, and went out of her way to help those in need. She found chaplaincy work rewarding-a way to minister to body and spirit, as well as prepare people for death and the afterlife. In 1988, she was recognized as employee of the year.
Later, she worked for 7 years as the director of pastoral care at Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan. Her availability, concern, and empathy endeared her to many.
In 2000, Sister Irene returned to the Mother House to serve as assistant coordinator for 7 years. Her teaching and pastoral care skills aided her work, and she felt enriched by the companionship of her fellow Sisters. Along with her administrative gifts, she was famous for her homemade "pasties"-a baked pastry filled with steak, potatoes, and other ingredients, which was a long-time family recipe. One year, she honored the Sisters by featuring her expertly-made pasties at the St. Patrick's Day meal.
In her retirement years, she devoted herself to family, and loved to spend time with her nieces and nephews, whom she often sent cards or phoned. She took pains to make sure everyone had the latest contact information. She loved to play cards or bingo with family, or go on outings, where she sometimes shared her faith, or her pride in being Irish.
Preceding Sister Irene in death were her parents and thirteen siblings, including five brothers, Joseph, Richard, John, Leo, and James Hanley; and eight sisters, Nora Hanley, Margaret Hanley, Mary Salvail, Rita Flynn, Theresa Opie, Helen Rice, Eulalia Larson, and Sheila Roberts. Survivors include two brothers-in-law, John Larson and Dr. Robert C. Roberts; and one sister-in-law, Mary Hanley. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews, and the SCL Community.
I always enjoyed the sparkle in her eyes and her endless wit and lovely smile! She will be missed and she is one of the reasons I went to Saint Mary College Reply
John Kurtz on December 4, 2021 at 8:58 am I dearly loved Sister Peg. Her work at the McCune School for Boys was awe-inspiring. She was totally amazing. The workers loved her. Most importantly, the boys loved her. Her LOVE for people was un-ending and so-very-inspiring, and we all were made better ourselves just by virtue of knowing her and witnessing her exemplary life. JOHN KURTZ Reply
I was Sister Mary Julitta‘s secretary for 11 years at Our Lady Of Guadalupe. Very memorable times. She was a very caring, compassionate principal, making sure everyone had shoes, coats, clothes what ever they needed, she taught me many lessons about the gift of sharing time and talents. I will miss my birthday Easter Christmas updates from her. She left me with a promise of love and and an exchange of prayers. Until we meet again! Reply
Luvena E Luckett on December 2, 2021 at 7:21 am Bless you Suster for being my 5th and 6th grade teacher at St.Peters Grade School in KCK so many years ago. So many memories of those two years as well as over all the following years.l Reply
Sister Mary Bridget taught me civics and history at Butte Central High School in Butte, MT, which was her hometown and mine. She went to the same grade school that my friends and I did and knew our parents when they were all kids. She would often regale the class with tales of the antics that she was part of as a kid. They were mischievous for sure!
Nora Ellen Richard on December 2, 2021 at 5:49 pm Sister Peg made an enormous impact on my life. We became friends when I spent several years working at Catholic Social Service in the former nurses facility across from the original St. Margaret Hospital in KCK. From Peg I learned the importance of the personal touch in administration (she was then one of the administrators at CSS). This served me well when I became a college administrator in WA State. I happily acknowledged how her influence made me successful in my administrative duties. I loved Peg and am sorry I am unable to participate in the Vigil or Internment and share Peg stories with others who loved her as well. Reply
Sr. Julitta was principal to my 2 older daughters. She was a great principal and friend and after retiring to the mother house never forgot us at Our Lady of Guadalupe. I became the secretary of the school in 2021 and found myself asking for her wisdom. The one thing I have never forgotten is "never say no to any donations of any kind to the school, if you can't use it you will find someone who can." Our youngest daughter went to USM and Sister was so delighted to have her on campus, frequently having lunch together and always giving her a chocolate bar. May she rest in peace. Reply
Frances Russell was born on Sept. 19, 1931, in Kansas City, Mo., the third of four daughters to Francis and Catherine (Cashin) Russell. Her childhood was marked by a strong Catholic faith and a love for family, who called her "Kitty." She attended Visitation Grade School and Bishop Hogan High School in Kansas City, Mo. She had deep reverence for SCLs, it was her mother's wish that one of her daughters would be one. SCLs taught her to be open to new experiences and to listen to others.
In her sophomore year, her father developed a malignant tumor in his spinal cord and remained bedridden for life. The tragedy brought the family closer-the sisters remained best friends for life-and her father's resilience and zest for living became a model to follow. Though confined, he remained interested in politics and the world-at-large, as did his four daughters.
After a year of college, Frances entered the SCL Community on Aug. 18, 1949, and professed vows as Sister Francis Assisi Russell on Aug. 15, 1951, before reverting to her baptismal name. She completed a bachelor's and master's degree in education at Saint Mary College in Leavenworth.
Sister Frances taught in elementary schools for 14 years in Kansas and Montana. She loved teaching and working with small children. At her last assignment at Most Pure Heart of Mary School in Topeka, Kan., she came in contact with orphaned children, many who suffered from abuse and neglect. She saw real need for the first time in her life, which deeply affected her. She decided to start a second master's degree in social work at St. Louis University, which she completed in 1967.
For the next 30-plus years, she ministered as a social worker in Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming, and also taught social work for 4 years at Saint Mary College. Along the way, she worked in a variety of ministries and extended compassion to all kinds of people: children, the homeless, refugees, and those oppressed by other disparities.
As administrator of St. Vincent Home for 7 years in Topeka, she transitioned a custodial care facility into a residential treatment program, which addressed the mental health needs of children. In 1979, she got involved with L'Arche, a community in Canada noted for working with people with intellectual difficulties. In 1980, with the help of a Dominican Sister, she started Siena House, a Catholic Work House and homeless shelter in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Named after the saint, Catherine of Siena, the ministry emphasized peace, non-violence, and Christ's advocacy for the poor. She listened to the poor and their stories and learned how violence can oppress others. She also saw how prayer made a difference in people's lives.
Cheyenne was also the home of Francis E. Warren Air Force Base. In 1982, then-President Ronald Reagan announced plans to bring MX missiles into southeast Wyoming as a military defense initiative, thereby, making Wyoming a nuclear superpower, and bringing money into the state's economy. Peace activists, however, took issue with the missiles and held protests at the base. Soon, Sister Frances became a peace organizer and then a spokesperson. She eventually challenged then-congressman (and former Vice President) Dick Cheney to a debate over the efficacy of missiles. Not intimidated, Sister Frances more than held her own. She was a strong advocate for peace, but not without a cost-she received death threats for her opposition.
Though costly, Sister Frances' work in Cheyenne also received much positive attention. Colman McCarthy, a Washington Post journalist, wrote a widely-read column, "34 Years as a Participant in Pain," in which he lauded Sister Frances as a social worker and peace advocate. Soon, she was nominated and then received the award for social worker of the year from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Upon accepting, she said, "We all need to do more to make this a more peaceful world."
For the rest of her career, Sister Frances continued to speak out and show others how to be more compassionate and make the world more peaceful. Whether she was speaking out against nuclear arms or counseling her nieces and nephews, her goal was to connect to people and connect people to each other, so all might work for each other's benefit. She once said, "I now realize that whole societies are orphaned and that only in a world community built on justice can life for any person flourish."
In retirement, she worked as a volunteer at All Saints School in Kansas City and taught English to Spanish-speaking middle school students. She also spent time aiding the SCL's social justice office. Sister Frances loved to read, journal, and spent time in poetry groups. She also stayed connected with her family and was a noted saver of photographs, which she kept on bulletin boards, especially of new infant arrivals. She once related that her call to charity had "changed significantly over the years," but her prayer was to work "for a safer and better world for those who have no security, no concept of privilege." She considered her long life in ministry as one of "privilege and grace."
Preceding Sister Frances in death were her parents and 3 sisters, Margaret Russell, Mary Jane Boyle, and Carol Marcel. Survivors include 5 nieces and 4 nephews, and 16 great grandnieces and great grandnephews, and 11 great-great grandnieces and great-great grandnephews, and the SCL Community.
Rosemary Smith was born on October 20, 1940, in Kansas City, Mo., the second of four children of James and Sara Ann (Russell) Smith, both Irish Catholic immigrants. Rosemary and her two siblings (Rita Ann and John Francis) made history as the first set of triplets born at St. Mary's Hospital. Sadly, John Francis died two days later of complications from pneumonia, but the two sisters remained close all their lives.
Rosemary graduated from St. Francis Xavier Grade School and Bishop Hogan High School in Kansas City. In high school, she first came into contact with SCLs, whom she regarded as "excellent educators." She was strongly influenced by Sister Mary Ernest Marsh, who encouraged her to pursue art-a life-long passion. After high school, she enrolled at nearby Saint Teresa's College (now Avila University) and was influenced by Sister Margaret Reinhart, CSJ, an art professor who taught her how to make frescoes.
She entered the SCL Community on Aug. 24, 1958, and professed vows as Sister Rita Francis on Sept. 2, 1962, in honor of her triplet siblings. In 1967, she received a B.A. in art and secondary education from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth, Kan. Ten years later, she completed a M.S. in secondary administration from Creighton University.
Sherry Lysaught on December 2, 2021 at 8:45 am I met Sister Peg about 10 years ago when we both pulled off Parallel Parkway in KCK to tend to a stray dog. The poor dog had been hanging out at UMB bank for several days, which we both had noticed. We both provided the dog with food and water for a few days before animal control was able to get her, promising not to put her down. We kept in contact for several weeks exchanging information that we each found out about the dog. I even went to sister pegs home. She was truly a caring, thoughtful, loving woman of God Reply
Sister Barbara Sellers, 84, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 66 years, died on October 24, 2023. She entered religious life on August 20, 1957, and took the name Sister Marion Clare when she received her habit. She later returned to her baptismal name.
Born on January 25, 1939, in Topeka, Kansas, Sister Barbara was the third of the six children of Frank Marion and Clara "Kay" (née Linenberger) Sellers. Sister's faith life was influenced by her mother's example and bolstered by her grandparents. Her grandmother was her main supporter when she decided to enter religious life after graduating from Hayden High School in Topeka.
As a student at Hayden High, Sister Barbara was taught by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The Sisters' warmth and love of education inspired her to apply for the SCL novitiate after graduation. While pursuing her education, Sister Barbara taught in elementary schools for the first five years of her ministry. After that, she earned degrees from the University of Kansas and the University of Pennsylvania.
Sister Barbara is remembered by many as a beloved professor and administrator at the University of Saint Mary. She also taught Latin at the University of Kansas during the 1968-1969 school year. During her tenure at Saint Mary, Sister Barbara wore many hats-classical scholar, member of the language and literature faculty, associate dean, registrar and scheduler; coordinator of freshmen orientation and freshmen seminar. She designed and taught peer academic counselors, preparing upperclassmen to mentor freshmen. She also taught medieval history and Latin and took student groups to Greece and Rome to immerse themselves in the ancient cultures. She always had time for her students whether helping them master mythology or teaching them to write. In 2001, she began working in the SCL Archives, moving to head archivist in 2004.
Preceding her in death were her parents; sisters, Kay Sellers, Margaret "Cookie" Piercy; brothers, Frank, Scott, and Eric. Survivors include sisters-in-law Karen Sellers, Norma Sellers and Paula Sellers; nieces and nephews; and the SCL Community.
Sister Delia Ann Lawless, 85, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 67 years, died on Aug. 11, 2023. She entered religious life on Aug. 19, 1956, and took the name Sister Nicholas Marie in 1957 when she received her habit. Nicholas was a family name. Her grandfather's name was Nicholas Lawless, and that was the middle name of her father (Walter Nicholas, Sr.), brother (Walter Nicholas, Jr.), and nephew (Paul Nicholas). She later returned to her baptismal name.
Born July 31, 1938, Sister Delia was the youngest of three children. Her parents, Walter and Stella (née Oliaro) Lawless, were examples for Sister's prayer life, taking her to Mass, and praying novenas devotionals of the Church. She was influenced by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth while attending St. Peter's School in Kansas City, Kansas. She attended Bishop Ward High School and then earned a bachelor's degree from Saint Mary College.
Sister Delia was not the first family member to join the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. Her great-aunt, Sister Mary Cecilia Lawless, and cousin, Sister Marie Paula Hardy, were also SCLs.
Sister Delia taught in schools in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Illinois, Missouri, and Nebraska. Later, she worked at St. Joseph Home in Kansas City, Kansas, followed by Saint Mary College, and at the SCL Mother House in Leavenworth, Kansas. Sister enjoyed crocheting, listening to and playing music, photography, and traveling.
Preceding Sister Delia in death were her parents; brother, Nick, and sister-in-law, Mary; sister, Mary, and brother-in-law, Joe Weigel. Survivors include nephews Paul (Erin) Lawless; Peter (Amy) Weigel; nieces, Teresa Lawless; Cathy Weigel; cousins Paul Michael Oliaro (Kathy); Judy Oliaro Walsh; great-nieces and nephews; and the SCL Community.
Sister Dorothy Henscheid passed away peacefully at 10:31 p.m., October 31, 2023, at Ross Hall at the age of 92. A Sister of Charity of Leavenworth for 72 years, she entered religious life on August 21, 1951, and took the name Sister Mary Lois when she received her habit. She later returned to her baptismal name.
Born in Rupert, Idaho, Sister Dorothy was the eldest of the seven children of William J. and Mary K. (née Bott) Henscheid. Sister Dorothy worked with her family in her father's small floral shop and learned to recognize God in the beauty of creation. She was very close to her family and had a large extended family, which allowed her to share church, school, and community activities with her siblings and many cousins.
Sister Dorothy first met the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth when she enrolled in Saint Mary College in 1949. In 1953, Sister took her first mission assignment to Fratt Memorial School in Billings, Montana. She taught at the elementary and high school levels for many years in Kansas, Montana, Missouri, and California. She also taught biology at Saint Mary College for a year and worked in pastoral ministry for several years before becoming the Mother House assistant director of campus and then the director of campus. She then earned degrees from Saint Mary College and Humboldt State University, with additional studies at Carroll College, Madonna College, Denver University, the University of Indiana, and the University of Notre Dame.
Preceding Sister Dorothy in death were her parents; sisters, Angeline King and Mary Borrowman; and brother, Leo Joseph Henscheid. Survivors include her sisters, Sister Kathleen Marie Henscheid, SCL, Debora (Richard) Povlsen, and Katherine (Gary) Maxson; nieces and nephews; and the SCL Community.
Previously, Sister Eileen served two consecutive terms on the SCL Council, beginning in 2010. Her ministries focused on education, spirituality, eco-justice, and social justice. She taught in the U.S. and Peru and held administrative positions as: a school principal and director of a diocesan house of prayer, a high school admissions department, and a degree completion program. Sister Eileen is a former member of the National Board of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, and formerly SCL liaison to the non-governmental organization (NGO) for the Sisters of Charity Federation at the UN. Currently, she is a member of the Vincentian Family Executive Committee.
Sister Helen was the only daughter of five children. She began her education in a one-room schoolhouse near the family farm in Montana. Her parents, Wilfred and Bernadette (née Richard) Cheeney, then moved to the town of Wolf Point so she could attend high school and encouraged her to get as much education as possible.
Sister Helen attended Saint Mary College in Leavenworth, Kansas, and after a year break to discern her vocation, she entered the Novitiate with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. She took the name Sister Ann Bernadette when she received her habit but later returned to her baptismal name.
Sister Helen taught in schools in Missouri, Oklahoma, Montana, Kansas, and Colorado. Later, she worked in Denver with the Archdiocesan Housing Committee, Inc., Marillac Clinic in Grand Junction, Colorado, and finally, as the treasurer for the SCL Mother House in Leavenworth.
Preceding Sister Helen in death were her parents; brother, Lee; and niece, Michelle Vanek. Survivors include her brothers Raymond (Judy); Edward (Pam); Lyle (Mary); nephews and nieces: Jeff (Eleanor); Ben Vanek; Chad (Anne); Valerie Lansdale (Jack); Greg (Safia); Eric (Angela); 17 great-nieces and nephews; and the SCL Community.
Sister Jane Jackson, 80, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 63 years, died on January 23, 2024. She entered religious life on August 30, 1960, and took the name Sister Rose Virginia when she received her habit. She later returned to her baptismal name.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Sister Jane was the second of the three children of William Roger and Mary Virginia (née Eimer) Jackson. Her parents fostered a family spirit that was faith-filled, people-oriented, and fun-loving - traits that characterized Sister Jane throughout her life. She considered her siblings her best friends and shared a special bond with Sister Judith, her sister and also a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth.
Sister Jane was taught by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth at St. Louis Grade School and Bishop Hogan High School, both in Kansas City, Missouri. In these settings, the seeds of her vocation were planted and cultivated. Sister Jane said the Sisters "taught me to love learning and modeled the beauty of community life."
Throughout her ministry, Sister Jane primarily taught and administered in elementary schools in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, and Oklahoma. Sister Jane said she loved it when her students' eyes lit up with an "ah-ha" moment of understanding. She held bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Saint Mary College (now University of Saint Mary) and Dayton University, respectively.
Sister Jane applied her many talents to other roles over the years. For three years, she was the SCL Mother House coordinator. She was a founding faculty member of Cristo Rey High School, Kansas City, Missouri; a teacher's aide in the Foster Grandparent program at Resurrection School, Kansas City, Kansas; and a volunteer at Providence Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, and Leavenworth Interfaith Community of Hope.
Preceding Sister Jane in death were her parents. Survivors include brother William Roger (Nadyne), sister Sister Judith Jackson, her beloved nieces Susan, Teresa, Mary, and Jane, their husbands and children, many lifelong friends, and the SCL Community.
Sister Jean Anne is serving her second term appointment as SCL Community Treasurer. In this role, she serves as an SCL Officer with members of the Community Council. Before assuming the Treasurer's position in 2010, she spent 29 years as the principal at Annunciation School, Denver. Prior to that, she was an educator for several years. Sister Jean Anne has a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Saint Mary and a master's in administration from the University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio. She is a board member for St. Mary's Medical Center, Grand Junction, Colo.; the University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth; and Advocates for Immigration Rights & Reconciliation.
Born in Kansas City, Kansas, she was the second of four children of Clyde L. and Helen J. (née Wetherwax) Miller.
Sister Sue began her education at St. Therese Little Flower School in Kansas City, Missouri, followed by St. Teresa's Academy and Bishop Hogan High School. There, she met the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth and, through their help, received a scholarship to attend Saint Mary College in Leavenworth. She said of her first year, "By October, I fell in love with the community, the campus, and the Lord." She entered the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth after her freshman year.
In her first years with the Community, Sister Sue taught fourth through sixth grades in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Laramie, Wyoming, and Helena, Montana, working on her teaching degree during the summers at Saint Mary College. In 1964, she attended the University of Wisconsin to earn a Master of Science degree, followed by a Ph.D. in home economics with a focus on design and textiles.
In 1968, she returned to Saint Mary College as a professor in the Home Economics Department. She became the academic dean in 1974. Sister Sue recalled that she loved living with the College Sisters, especially her close friends, and the students. "It was a time of change in curriculum and student life that kept us all young and hopping," she said of her time as a professor and dean. During her time in leadership at the college, she established several outreach programs in the Leavenworth prisons and in Wyandotte and Johnson counties for non-traditional students.
Sister Sue spent 24 years in SCL leadership, first being elected a Community Councilor in 1986 and 1992. She was elected Community Director for two terms in 1998 and 2004. Her time in Community leadership was also marked by tremendous growth in SCL ministries, especially in international sites. Programs were established in Haiti, Sudan, and Kenya and expanded in Peru, with Latin American Sisters stepping into leadership roles there. She led the expansion of the SCL Community's Charity Fund, which enabled a greater number of projects for the poor to be funded in the U.S. and around the world.
Throughout these years and ministries, Sister Sue continued her art that began with her studies of textiles and design. She produced works in watercolor painting, ceramics, and quilt making. She loved beauty and was prolific in its creation. She had an incredible zest for life and enjoyed travel to new places, fishing, gardening, and cooking.
In her later years, she experienced progressive dementia. She faced it with grace, saying, "I can see that God is inviting me to a total trust, a deeper intimacy, and a more vibrant awareness of God's presence in me at all times." About her life's work, she said, "It is not about accomplishments but about mercy, detachment, compassion, forgiveness, charity-following God."
Sister Sue was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her brothers Lee (Ruth), David (Linda), and Nick (Sylvia), nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Community.
There will be a vigil service at 7 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, in Ross Chapel, SCL Mother House, Leavenworth. Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated in Ross Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. Interment will follow in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Mother House grounds. Due to space issues, guests are requested to reserve a seat by calling the Mother House by Feb. 15 (913-682-7500). Masks are required for all outside guests. Memorial contributions can be made to the Sister Sue Miller Scholarship Fund at the University of Saint Mary or the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth, KS 66048.
Sister Lynn was a highly skilled educator and hospital administrator who made the mentoring and development of healthcare leaders an important part of her legacy. As one associate observed, "Sister Lynn sees gifts in others and finds platforms to empower them." She viewed the hospital as a "learning organization" where patients and their families, regardless of economic circumstance, could find healing and experience the presence of God in the midst of pain and suffering. Her steadying influence, values, and commitment to making tough decisions toward systemic change made her an exceptional strategic and visionary leader who believed that the role of the hospital goes beyond healthcare to a deeper engagement with community life.
Donna Lynn Casey was born on Aug. 19, 1936, in Havre, Mont., the second of eleven children of Francis and Loretta (Daum) Casey. Her growing up in a large family in a small smelter town (where locals processed zinc and lead) cultivated a passion for community and the ability to work with others-trademarks that characterized her ministry. She graduated from St. Ann's Grade School in East Helena and Cathedral High School in Helena, both in Montana. She first meet SCLs in grade school and was especially influenced later on by Sisters Mary Dolorita Flynn and Dorothy Hanley, her drama and music teachers.
She entered the SCL Community on Aug. 19, 1956, and professed vows as Sister Francis Loretta Casey on Aug. 22, 1958, before changing to her baptismal name. She earned a B.S. in education and an M.S. in education administration from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth, Kansas.
Sister Lynn spent the first part of her career teaching at primary schools for 12 years in Missouri, Oklahoma, Montana, and Kansas. She transitioned into school administration at Most Pure Heart of Mary in Topeka, Kan., where she served as principal for 9 years. She collaborated with the nearby Menninger Clinic and was an early advocate of putting children with mental health challenges in mainstream classes. When she announced her resignation, the school's students and parents organized a "Celebrate Sister Lynn Day" with gifts and a tree planted in her honor. Her organizational and administrative gifts were not lost on others who encouraged her to consider healthcare as a possible new avenue of ministry.
In 1979, she served as administrator at Kennedy Child Study Center at St. John's Hospital and Health Care Center in Santa Monica, Calif. After a few years, she left to complete a second master's degree in hospital and health services administration from Yale University. Her studies provided an up-close look at the immense and significant changes hospitals and insurance companies were preparing to make in how patients were charged for services. This knowledge put her significantly ahead of others in the healthcare field.
She then spent 6 months working at 3 different SCL-sponsored hospitals before taking the role of chief operating officer, and later, executive vice president at St. Vincent Hospital in Billings, Montana. Over the next 15 years, she held executive roles in St. John's Hospital and Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., and St. Mary's Hospital and Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. In the latter role, she transitioned St. Mary's from a community hospital to a regional medical center, which was partly accomplished by the addition of an $8 million patient tower and medical office building and an outpatient services facility. The local newspaper reported that Sister Lynn's improvements made the community a better place to live.
In 1999, she felt a call to serve as vice president of mission leadership at Providence Health System in Seattle, Washington, before leaving to work with Mercy Health Partners and oversee a hospital merger in Springfield, Ohio, where she integrated a community hospital and a Catholic hospital into a single, mission-focused culture.
In 2005, after many years in healthcare, Sister accepted the role of chancellor of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings in Easter Montana. She worked as a representative and close advisor to the Bishop on all administrative affairs, as well as the management of sacramental and other diocesan records. The job was a coming home for Sister Lynn.
In her retirement years, Sister Lynn remained busy and engaged with the SCL Health Board of Directors, where she provided wise counsel and served for 2 years as board chair. She also served as a spiritual director mentoring several women. Watercolor painting, which she discovered later in life, became a means of enjoyment and spiritual expression. She also enjoyed spending time with the families of her brothers and sisters.
Community members and colleagues remember Sister Lynn as quiet, intelligent, a renaissance woman with a great vocabulary thoughtfully delivered, who loved nature and the outdoors. Whether she was exploring local trails or hiking across the Austrian Alps, nature put her at ease ("an antidote to stress"), heightened her creativity and appreciation of beauty, and renewed her spirit.
A highlight of Sister Lynn's life was receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Catholic Health Association in 2020. One of her endorsers, Bishop George L. Thomas, related the following: "Her life has been marked by altruism, professionalism, dynamism, and compassion for the poor in the expansive worlds of education, public health, and hospital administration."
In 2008, Sister Lynn spoke at the SCL's 150 th anniversary celebration. Her message, which elaborated on the SCL's long history, also gave simple expression to her life and mission: "We religious Sisters . . . live with an eye to meeting the God of the living, at resurrection time, by living lives of love."
Preceding Sister Lynn in death were her parents and her oldest sister, Patricia C. Child. Survivors include 4 brothers, Dennis L. Casey, James P. Casey, Michael J. Casey, and Thomas Casey; and 5 sisters, including Jerry Ann Maddio, Sister Jean Casey, SCL, Colleen M. Stroup, Mary L. Chambers, and Kathleen A. Zoanni; as well as numerous nephews, nieces, and grandnephews and grandnieces, and the SCL Community.
Sister Marie Carmel Dunning, 101, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 71 years, died on September 3, 2022, at Ross Hall in Leavenworth, Kan. Sister Marie Carmel touched many lives through her ministries in education and health care, and with her timeless poetry.
Sister Marie Carmel was one of my teachers at St. Pius X High School in the late 1960's. More importantly, she was coach of the debate team that my father insisted I sign up for, even though I had a tremendous fear of public speaking. It was the best thing that could have happened to me. Sister Marie Carmel got me to overcome my fear and taught me logical thinking and cogent argumentation.
She was a fair person who had a zest for life and a wicked sense of humor. She always had a sparkle in her eye when she'd deliver the punch line of a joke or craft a painful pun. Traveling around the Kansas City area on weekends going to debate tournaments was the time I and my colleagues would see Sister Marie Carmel's more personal side. I remember one time she read our palms to reveal our futures!
She was a happy, thoughtful person who had such a broad base of knowledge that any subject could be discussed intelligently. She treated her students as adults despite our immaturity. I learned how to research and write a college level paper in her class.
I was very fortunate to join my high school buddies Mike Svetlic and Tony Zimmerman (also on the debate team) in visiting Sister Marie Carmel a few years ago at the Mother House in Leavenworth. This was 50 years after we had graduated from St. Pius. We had a grand time reminiscing about the old days. She hadn't changed a bit despite her advanced age. Still quick witted and funny with a laugh as big and genuine as Montana itself.
"I sit back and bask in the warmth of deep memories of places, events, and people who have shaped me. The Lord has guided every step in my life's journey." - Sister Mary Bridget Mullen
Sister Mary Bridget, 94, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL), died on June 30, 2021, in Ross Hall at the SCL Mother House, Leavenworth, Kan. She celebrated her 70th anniversary as an SCL in 2016.
Sister entered the religious community soon after high school and served as a long-time teacher in primary and secondary schools, before working in healthcare at the end of her ministry. Though tiny, she had a mighty presence, loved animals and the outdoors, and was known for her quick wit, sense of humor, and disarming nature. She had a genuine and natural rapport with students, who valued and trusted her. Sister Mary Bridget embodied the SCL characteristic virtues of simplicity, humility, and charity.
Helen Therese Mullen was born on Nov. 16, 1926, in Butte, Mont., the fourth of five children of Michael J. Mullen and Nellie (Sullivan) Mullen. She had a strong Irish Catholic heritage on both sides of her family, and spoke with a "Butte brogue." While her parents stressed education, which she took to heart, she also excelled in sports and music (piano), and was known for her mischievousness. Once, when her adored, oldest sister expectantly opened the front door to greet a date, she was met by Helen and her brother, who doused her with water.
She attended St. John's Grade School and Girls Central High School in Butte, Mont., before pursuing an education degree at Saint Mary College, Leavenworth. Helen entered the SCL Community on Aug. 14, 1946, and professed vows as Sister Mary Bridget on Aug. 15, 1948. In 1970, she received a master's degree in history from Loyola University in Chicago.
Sister Mary Bridget served in primary and secondary schools for almost 40 years in Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and Kansas. She taught a wide variety of subjects (English, history, psychology, religion, and more), and also coached team sports and sponsored the cheerleading squad. During her teaching career, she once remarked that there are two types of people: "those who are present, but their minds are elsewhere," and those who are not only present, but whose "presence remains long after they are gone." She said, "I prefer to be the latter"-and she was. She was spiritually present and took time to help students deal with problems that sometimes went beyond the classroom. She taught high school during the Vietnam era and agonized over those students-corresponding with many who saw action and some of whom gave their lives in service to their country.
Sister Mary Bridget was a life-long learner who spent several summers working to deepen her knowledge of history through various educational opportunities. One summer, she walked the battlefields of the American Revolution, later bringing that experience back to the classroom. She was always looking for ways to make history and other subjects come alive for her students. After leaving education, Sister worked for three years in medical records at DePaul Hospital in Cheyenne, Wyo., and also served with the SCL Health Program.
In her retirement years, Sister Mary Bridget spent time caring for the elderly, as well as several orphaned cats who lived near the Mother House. She loved spending time with family-something that was always important to her-and kept up with her 14 nieces and nephews-never forgetting to send birthday greetings to each one. She also stayed connected to the University of Saint Mary, her alma mater, and visited with students and cheered the school's athletic teams. Reflecting on her life as a Sister, she once remarked, "I sit back and bask in the warmth of deep memories of places, events, and people who have shaped me. The Lord has guided me every step in my life's journey." Even though she sometimes commented humorously that God was a "rascal," she knew that all of life was an illustration of divine love.
Preceding Sister Mary Bridget in death were her parents and three of her four siblings, including Joseph T. Mullen, Betty Mullen Daly, and Rosaleen Mullen; and one niece, Joan Daly. Survivors include her oldest sister, Margaret Mullen Presley, and 14 nieces and nephews, and the SCL Community.
Sister Mary Bridget had a huge influence on my life growing up in Kansas City, Kansas. She was a great teacher and a wonderful woman. I'm sorry I never got the chance to tell her in person as an adult how loved she was. Rest in Peace dear Sister…
My life has been lived with a certain degree of ordinariness graced with the extraordinary embrace of God. - Sister Mary Clare Gappa
Mary Clare Gappa was born on Dec. 8, 1938, in Moorhead, Minn., one of two children to William and Hildegarde (Lorsung) Gappa. When Hildegarde was only six years old, her mother died from the flu, leaving the family to be raised by their father and Mary Clare's great-grandmother. This family dynamic prepared Mary Clare for a life of hard work, respect, loyalty, compassion, and strength.
When Mary Clare was two, her family moved to Mont., where William worked for many years for the Midland Coal and Lumber Company until an injury forced him to relinquish his management position. The family moved to Billings, and at a tremendous personal sacrifice, William and Hildegarde enrolled Mary Clare and her brother, Bob, in Catholic school.
While Mary Clare had religious vocations among her relatives, it wasn't until she entered Billings Central High School that she met the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. She came to admire them and began discerning joining the Community. Mary Clare knew she had to listen to God's call and that religious life was where she belonged. She entered the SCL Community on Aug. 19, 1956, and as Sister Clare Marie made her final vows on Aug. 22, 1964. She later returned to her baptismal name.
Sister Mary Clare knew she was destined to be a teacher from an early age. From the first grade on, she would gather the neighborhood kids at the end of each school day and "teach" them. After she entered, Sister Mary Clare taught for 24 years in schools in Kan., Ill., Mo., and her beloved Mont. She was a skilled educator with unmatched creativity and compassion for all. She had a talent for redirection and innovated teaching techniques, leaving no child behind.
Later, and after much discernment, Sister Mary Clare completed her master's in theology and spirituality. She began her ministry as a pastoral associate at Coronation of Our Lady Parish in Grandview, Mo. One of her many responsibilities was teaching RCIA classes. For the next three decades, she would walk with adults on their conversion journey, sharing her passion and knowledge of the Catholic Church.
During her 50th Jubilee, Sister Mary Clare reflected that the theme throughout her life has been "faithfulness - to God, to family, to relationships, to Community, to ministry, to self." Sister Mary Clare was caring, compassionate, and brave. She loved music, her family and friends, and her SCL Community. Sister Mary Clare humbly embraced her service to others and the Catholic faith. She was the epitome of faithful, making her an unforgettable companion on life's journey.
Preceding Sister Mary Clare's death were her parents and her deceased Sisters in the SCL Community. She is survived by her brother, Bob Gappa (Pam), Tuscan, Ariz., her extended family, and her SCL Community.
She entered the SCL Community on Aug. 14, 1945, and professed vows as Sister Mary Eleanor on Aug. 15, 1947. In 1949, she received a R.N. degree from the Sisters of Charity School of Nursing in Butte, Mont. In 1971, she received a B.S. degree in nursing from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth, Kan.
Sister Mary Eleanor loved nursing and served for over 30 years in hospitals in Montana, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico. She developed specialties in several areas of care: obstetrics, ICU, surgery, and emergency room. Over her career, she welcomed newborn babies, as well as comforted the dying in their last hours. Her gentleness, compassion, and generous nature contributed to all phases of her work.
In 1980, she took time to care for her dying 90-year-old mother in Papillion, Neb. Their months together were among the most precious in Sister's life. After this, she went back to the Mother House in Leavenworth, Kan., to serve as a nurse in Ross Hall.
In her later years, Sister Mary Eleanor worked for 19 years as a clerk for the post office at the University of Saint Mary (then Saint Mary College). Her quiet spirit took special delight when students received care packages from home. Her dependability, kindness, and accuracy were highlighted during a 2006 appreciation ceremony in her last year at the post office. In her retirement years, she focused on a ministry of prayer.
Preceding Sister Mary Eleanor in death were her parents and two siblings, George Schram and Josephine Schram. Survivors include two sisters, Rita Ramm and Margaret Pfeifer. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews, and the SCL Community.
Sister Mary Julitta, baptized as Mary Margaret Doerhoff, was the eldest of 10 children. She grew up on the family farm near St. Elizabeth, Missouri. Her parents Herman and Emma (Huhmann) Doerhoff raised their children surrounded by prayer and a love for the Mass. When she was in second grade, she told her mother that she wanted to become a Sister when she grew up. Her mother supported her and told her that was the best thing she could be.
As the eldest of a large family, Sister Mary Julitta helped her mother take care of her younger siblings along with the household and farm chores. She wrote in her autobiography that for her, leaving home to enter the novitiate was a very sad goodbye to her siblings.
Sister Mary Julitta, in addition to being a Sister, wanted to be an educator, and even taught classes to seventh and eighth grade students during her senior year of high school. She taught in schools in Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. She served as principal at St. Pius X School in Billings, Montana; Immaculate Conception School, Leavenworth, Kansas; and Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Topeka, Kansas. While at Our Lady of Guadalupe School, she received an award from the El Hispano Institute for her efforts in bridging the gap between Hispanic and Anglo cultures in Topeka. Sister Mary Julitta held a master's degree in education administration.
Preceding Sister Mary Julitta in death were her parents; brother Bernard and his wife Mary; brother Alfred and his wife Mary Ann; sister Dolores; and brother-in-law Robert Weidinger. Survivors include her sisters Rosana Weidinger; Loretta Weiler (Jerry); Dorothy Rupp (Bernie); Julitta Langle (John); Evelyn Van Goethem (John); Carolyn Stolberg (Steve); brother-in-law O'Dean Stover; numerous nieces and nephews; and the SCL Community.
Sister Mary Julitta was n only was important person in my life. Not only
was she my School Principal she was a dear and special friend. She cared
about students and their families. Sister was so wise in many ways. She
Sister Mary Julitta was my 7th & 8th grade teacher at St.Pius X Catholic Church in Billings, Montana in 1960 & 1961. She was the also the Mother Superior & Principle of the school. She handled these rolls while teaching 62 8th graders & 10 7th graders in one classroom in 1959/1960 and 70 8th graders in 1960/1961 in the basement of the school. I was one of her main helpers, running errands, taking messages up to the other nuns and lay teachers. I attended the 50th anniversary of the founding of the school and she was there. Since that time she and I corresponded on a regular basis. I am so sad to learn of her passing. I know God has a special place for her in Heaven
Born Joan Huddleston on October 18, 1930, in Billings, Montana, she was the elder of the two daughters of Albert E. "Bert" and Margaret (née Lambrecht) Huddleston.
Sister Mary Laura contracted polio at the age of three and as a result, spent many summers at St. Vincent Hospital in Billings. She attended first and second grades from the hospital school. She credited being cared for by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth during those years as the seed for her vocation.
Sister Mary Laura started her ministry as a teacher. She taught in schools in Kansas, Missouri, and Montana. She later worked in hospital records and pastoral ministry. She also served for many years as the chaplain to the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri. She held a bachelor's degree in medical record science from Saint Mary College (now, University of Saint Mary). She also attended Seattle University, Butte School of Mines, and Carroll College in Helena, Montana.
From 2003 until 2017, she served the Hispanic population in Kansas City, Kansas, by finding out what their needs were, reaching out to those who could give, and arranging to bless those in need, whether it was food, clothing, or kindness. She moved to Ross Hall at the SCL Leavenworth campus in 2017.
Preceding Sister Mary Laura in death were her parents and brother-in-law Fred Wennemar. Survivors include her sister Barbara, nephews and nieces Fred Wennemar, Laura (Wilbur) Harper, Dean Wennemar, Anne (Charlie) Murphy, and Greg Wennemar, and the SCL Community.
"I believe that people should love what they do. They should reach out to others. Share what you have and you will be given one-hundredfold in return." - Sister Mary Marcianna Trujillo
Sister Mary Marcianna Trujillo, 92, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 73 years died, on Sept. 16, 2022, in Ross Hall at the Mother House in Leavenworth, Kan. She was a devoted soul who loved her various ministries, her family, friends, and SCL Community. She was an inspiration to many. Her life's credo was, "Love what you do…share what you have, and you will be given one-hundredfold in return."
The fifth of 10 children, Julia Rainey was born on April 5, 1930, in the ranching and farming community of Watrous, N.M. to Ventura and Annie (Gonzalez) Trujillo. Ventura died young leaving Annie alone to raise the surviving children. She was a woman of deep faith and a lifelong inspiration to her daughter Julia who shared this conviction. Upon her high school graduation, Julia was accepted into nursing school with a full scholarship. In preparation for her training, Julia took a job at St. Anthony's Hospital in Las Vegas, N.M. A Sister from the SCLs traveled to the hospital to teach a Bible course to employees and that was the beginning of the end of Julia's nursing future. A young and inspired Julia entered the SCL Community as Sister Julia Rainey Trujillo on Aug. 18, 1949. She later changed her religious name to Sister Mary Marcianna.
Sister Mary Marcianna spent her first years teaching in the Midwest and Peru. Students remember her as a teacher in and out of the classroom, an ultimate mentor who was a strong force in a small package. For the next 16 years, Sister served as an operator for the Mother House switchboard, providing a welcoming, knowledgeable spirit to all she encountered. Later, Sister worked at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Omaha, Nebr., where she served as the director of religious education. In 2005, Sister Mary Marcianna served at Duchesne Clinic in Kansas City, Kan. She retired to Ross Hall in 2007 where she was a fervent pray-er and companion.
Preceding Sister Mary Marcianna's death were her parents; three brothers John, Bennie, and Marcelino; three sisters Dora Turowski, Gloria, and Angie Trujillo; and her deceased Sisters of the SCL Community. She is survived by three sisters Marie Orca, Jo Noah, and Stella Strother; numerous nieces and nephews; and her SCL Community.
Sister Mary Willoughby, 94, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 75 years, died on Dec. 31, 2021, in Ross Hall at the SCL Mother House in Leavenworth, Kan. Lois Jean Willoughby was born on April 27, 1927, in Grand Rapids, Mich., the adopted child of George and Mary (Morell) Willoughby. At age 5, she started piano lessons, which led to a life-long interest in music. She graduated from Fratt Memorial Grade School and Billings Senior High School in Billings, Mont. In Billings, she took clarinet lessons from Sister Mary Ita O'Brien, an SCL, and joined her school orchestra. She added the bass violin, oboe, and other instruments.
She entered the SCL Community on Aug. 14, 1946, and professed vows as Sister Maris Stella on Aug. 15, 1948, before changing to Sister Mary Willoughby. In 1963, she received a B.S. in elementary education from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth, Kan. Two years later, she received a B.S. in music education from New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M.
For 23 years, Sister Mary served as a music teacher in schools in Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, and California. She taught all levels of instrumental and classroom music, as well as band, orchestra, chorus, and piano. Students were impressed by her spirituality and energetic enthusiasm. During her years in Montana, she started a music therapy program at Warm Spring State Hospital. She once said, "Teaching music and seeing how much music means to people who hear it is among my greatest rewards."
In 1974, she embarked on a new ministry focus: coding medical records at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. She stayed in this assignment for 20 years. Co-workers were impressed with her ability to classify and obtain missing information in patient records.
In 1994, she continued to expand her ministry by serving for two years as elder ministry coordinator at St. Laurence O'Toole parish in Laramie, Wyoming. At her leaving, Father Ray Moss, an assistant pastor at the parish, wrote that Sister Mary had the gift of "renewing hope" and that her concern and love for she those she served had "forged deep bonds of friendship." During this time, she received a certification in the gerontology program at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana.
In 1996, she returned to the Mother House and continued her love of working with the elderly at Medicalodge of Leavenworth. She won distinction as employee of the month. Her director once commented, "I wish I had five more Sister Mary's around here." It seemed that all her skills, interests, and abilities coalesced around her love for the elderly. She became a hospice volunteer. Her music and ministry skills were a comfort to the dying, as she helped them journey to the next life. As she once humorously noted, "My favorite people are seniors, of which I am one."
A highlight of Sister Mary's final year was commemorating 75 years as an SCL with other Mother House and Ross Hall Sisters during the Community's Jubilee celebration. A quote she valued summed up her life: "God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to him."
Preceding Sister Mary in death were her parents. Survivors include the SCL Community.
the divine in them, and we have to find it." - Sister Maureen Craig
Sister Maureen Craig often referred to herself as an "Okie out of Arkie" (a nod to her home state and birth state), but those who knew her remembered her in a myriad of ways: an excellent school teacher, a gifted storyteller, a wise counselor, a go-to problem-solver, a caring advocate, a clever and witty speaker, a spiritual leader, and a dedicated wordsmith. She was once referred to as the "Poet Laureate" of Saint John's Health Center by a former president and CEO. She was also warm and welcoming, and took notice of the underdog and the underserved. In all she did, she embodied the SCL's characteristic virtue of charity.
Maureen Frances Craig was born on Aug. 15, 1933, in Little Rock, Arkansas, the ninth of ten children to John and Mary (Holland) Craig. Six years after her birth, the family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she grew up. Her mother, Southern born, and her father, an Irish immigrant with a Ph.D. in political science from Magdalen College at Oxford, encouraged faith, learning, and social responsibility at home. Her parents were known anti-segregationists by area residents. One night, the Ku Klux Klan left a cross burning in their front yard. Maureen woke her parents to tell them the news, still too young to understand the significance of the incident. Later on, it reinforced for her the conviction that all people are equal and valued in God's eyes and deserve dignity and respect.
Maureen's parents often staged poetry and art contests for their children with prizes for each. As a young girl, Maureen's first poem was entitled, "Cats have kittens, gloves have mittens." Years later, in 2011, she would publish a poetry collection with that title as a Christmas gift to health care donors and supporters. Her parents also instilled a love for the humanities. She grew to love Shakespeare, Civil War history, Irish culture, and the Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton. Maureen attended Holy Family Grade School and High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before following her older sisters to then Saint Mary College in Leavenworth, Kansas.
After a year and a half of college, Maureen entered the SCL Community on Feb. 11, 1953, and professed vows as Sister John Mary Craig on Feb. 22, 1955, and later returned to her baptismal name. In 1961, she completed a bachelor's degree in education with a specialization in English at Saint Mary College.
Sister Maureen taught English in primary and secondary schools for over 20 years in Kansas, Missouri, and Montana. She loved teaching, but a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, coupled with a heart condition, kept her from being as effective as she wanted to be as a teacher. In the mid-1970s, while at Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas, she left classroom duties to help the school with communications, public relations, and fundraising. After 32 years in education, she changed her ministry focus to healthcare.
In 1987, she went to Saint John's Hospital and Health Center in Santa Monica, California, to work as a chaplain and assistant to Sister Marie Madeleine Shonka, who had assumed a lead role at Saint John's Foundation (after serving for many years as the health care center's president and CEO). A few years later, in 1992, Sister Maureen published a well-received 50-year history of Saint John's Hospital and Health Care Center, entitled, The Golden Promise.
In 1994, she weathered the disastrous Northridge earthquake, which deeply affected Santa Monica and forced St. John's to close for a time for repairs. She sometimes joked with friends that if her faith and courage could get her through a natural disaster, she could get through anything. In 2000, she was recognized as a "Women of Distinction" by the YMCA of Santa Monica at their Woman of the Year Dinner.
In a 2005 interview for the Santa Monica Daily Press, Sister Maureen commented on the mission of Saint John's Health Center, but her words could easily have summed up her own life in ministry: "We have to be God's hands. We have to revere each person as someone special, created by God and loved by God. Each person has the spark of the divine in them, and we have to find it."
As a spiritual leader and admired figure at Saint John's, she was considered a "living reminder" of the hospital's healing mission. In 2011, she said, "It's my duty to see that we never forget that the hospital is a ministry and not just a business, that we remain part of the healing mission of Jesus." A highpoint of Sister's life was in 2012 when she received the regarded Caritas Award for "exemplary leadership" and "personal commitment" to the healthcare ministry of Saint John's Health Center Foundation.
Sister served faithfully at Saint John's for 32 years. Her condition, which affected her central nervous system, sometimes led to spills. She sometimes humorously quipped, "I'm the poster girl for bruised nuns." In 2019, Sister Maureen retired from active ministry (full or part-time). Along with MS and her heart ailment, she also suffered from a genetic condition that shortened the life of her 5 brothers. Despite all this, she maintained a strong confidence in God's sustaining grace and providential care for the rest of her life.
Preceding Sister Maureen in death were her parents; her five brothers, Kevin Craig, Frank Craig, John Craig, Richard Craig, and William Craig; and her four sisters, Therese Shelton, Rosaleen Buthod, Brenda Bizzell, and Elizabeth Hottinger, and the deceased Sisters of the SCL Community. She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
Sister Melissa serves in ministry roles with the Vincentian Family and the Sisters of Charity Federation. She was convener of the 2021 North American Vincentian Family Gathering, and is a national core team member for Giving Voice, a peer-led organization for younger women religious. Previously, she was director of development for LifeWay Network, a safe housing and education program in Queens, New York, and was vice president of mission and sponsorship for Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Currently, Sister Melissa is a member of Leaven Ministries, the sponsoring body for SCL Health.
Sister Nancy is a licensed therapist in private practice for the past eight years in Redondo Beach, California. She serves young adults and seniors in areas of relationships, addictions, grief/loss, depression, anxiety, and transitions. Previously, she practiced for Bridges in El Monte, California, and was a mental health counselor and residential program coordinator for ISIS Center in San Diego. Sister Nancy has experience in marriage and family therapy and serving a marginalized, homeless population in a residential setting. Much earlier in ministry, she served in parishes as a pastoral counselor, and in secondary education.
Sister Patricia Canty, 87, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 64 years, died on October 4, 2023. She entered religious life on August 23, 1959, and took the name Sister Marie Andre when she received her habit. She later returned to her baptismal name.
Sister Patricia was born on March 31, 1936, in Butte, Montana. She was the eldest of the four children of Dr. Charles R. and Lilyan P. (née McCanna) Canty. She and her three younger brothers would often ride their bicycles all over the back roads west of Butte or climb to the top of Big Butte to look out over the world. They would often spend time at Big Hole River, where her father would fish with the boys while she visited with her mother.
Sister Patricia was taught by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth at St. Patrick's Grade School and Girls' Central High School. The Sisters' joy and enthusiasm inspired her to consider a religious vocation from an early age. After graduating from high school, she earned her bachelor's degree from Gonzaga University and taught for two years in Milan, Washington. She credited Sister Mary Seraphine Sheehan for inspiring her to apply for the novitiate of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth in Kansas.
Sister Patricia went on to teach for 45 years in schools in Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and Wyoming. She often taught music, social studies, reading, Spanish, and ESL, but most of the time, she taught in a self-contained middle-grades classroom. Upon retirement, she moved to her hometown of Butte and joined the Foster Grandparent Program as a tutor at Central Elementary School.
Sister Patricia enjoyed writing poetry. She once said that she would like to spend her retirement writing poetry and conversing with the Spanish-speaking Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth who lived in Peru.
Preceding Sister Patricia in death were her parents; and brother, Marcus Canty. Survivors include brother Charles (Ralene) Canty; brother Edward (Joanne) Canty; and sister-in-law Mary Ann Canty; and the SCL Community.
Sister Peter Parry, 91, died on Sept. 21, 2022, at Ross Hall in Leavenworth, Kan. She faithfully served the people of God as a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 73 years. She was a lifelong educator who, with a loving heart, an authentic smile, and trusting eyes encouraged hundreds of children and adults to succeed in academic endeavors no matter their stages in life.
Patricia Frances Parry was born on March 24, 1931, in Kansas City, Mo., one of three children of William and Gertrude (Hawkins) Parry. She attended St. Mary Grade School, Lee's Summit, Mo., and Saint Mary Academy, Leavenworth. Patricia graduated with a BS in elementary education from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth, and an MS in elementary education from Eastern Montana University, Billings, Mont. She entered the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on Aug. 18, 1949, and, as Sister Peter Claver, made her profession of vows on Aug. 15, 1951. She later changed her religious name to Sister Peter.
During her nearly six-decade teaching ministry, Sister Peter served in schools in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. She was a devout instructor of math, English, life skills, and the ways of goodness and equality. She welcomed all and knew no strangers, making Sister Peter a successful mentor to all who came to her as a student. In 1976, Sister Peter became involved in programs to help those in need of a special introduction to the art of learning. The first of these was a GED program commissioned by the KCK Archdiocese. Later Sister Peter taught at Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kan., where in 1986 she was named director of the Basic Education for Lifelong Learning (BELL) program, a program she was instrumental in founding. In succeeding years, she volunteered at Duchesne Clinic in Kansas City, Kan. Sister Peter retired to Ross Hall in 2021 where she enjoyed various activities, prayer, and companionship with her fellow SCLs.
Preceding Sister Peter's death were her parents, her brother William, her sister Margaret (Jane) Arnett, and her deceased Sisters of the SCL Community. She is survived by many nieces, nephews, and her SCL Community.
Sister Rita Smith, 81, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 63 years, died on May 15, 2022, in Ross Hall at the SCL Mother House in Leavenworth, Kan. A long-time educator and school administrator, Sister was proud of her Irish heritage, loved creating and teaching art, and spending time in Colorado, where she enjoyed fishing, hiking, and taking nature photography. Friends, family, and SCL Sisters remember her wonderful sense of humor, graciousness, and humility.
Sister Rosemary is a professor of English at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas since 1997. She became Chair of the Language and Literature in 2015. She was installed as the Mary Janet McGilley Endowed Chair in Liberal arts in 2021. Prior to her work at the university, Sister Rosemary taught English and journalism for many years in secondary schools. She is a member of the Kansas Commission on Judicial Conduct.
"Ring out your joy to the Lord all the earth. Praise is fitting for loyal hearts." This was the theme of Sister Eileen Sheehy's Golden Jubilee, celebrated in 1996, and has resounded throughout Sister's life and ministries.
Sister Eileen Sheehy, 94, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 75 years, died on July 29, 2022, at Ross Hall in Leavenworth, Kansas. Sister Eileen, always proud of her Irish, Catholic, Butte heritage, was known as an excellent educator, pastoral minister, and lover of music with a warm, hospitable, and welcoming smile.
The youngest of seven children, Eileen Sheehy was born on March 15, 1928, in Butte, Montana, to Cornelius (Con) and Anna (Hanley). Her older sister, Margaret Mary (Sister Mary Serena), joined the SCL Community and Eileen entered a few years later on August 14, 1946, taking the religious name of Sister Gregory, later returning to her Baptismal name of Eileen.
Sister Eileen served as an elementary teacher and principal in schools across the West and Midwest. After many experiences in teaching and administration in several schools, Sister Eileen served as the Superintendent of Schools in the diocese of Kansas City/St. Joseph. In 1965, she joined others from the diocese to march with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for racial justice in Selma, Alabama. With a strong spirit of right and justice, she represented many who were not able to be physically present for the Selma march. Her picture appeared in many newspapers and publications and her likeness was displayed in The Undefeated, a children's book recounting the efforts for racial justice.
Sister Eileen held an Ed.D. and an M.A. in Pastoral Studies. Other ministries in her lifetime included Juniorate and Vocation Director for the SCL community, acting Head of the Education Department at Saint Mary College in Leavenworth, and parish work. With dear SCL friends Sister Susan Newland and the late Sister Bonnie Bachle, the three shared their many gifts and talents in several parishes across various states for almost 50 years before moving home to Leavenworth.
Sister Eileen had a great love for her family, friends, SCL community, and all she encountered. She was witty, loving, and wise, and lived deeply, joyfully, and gratefully.
Preceding Sister Eileen in death were her parents; her five brothers: John, Tom, Edmund, Joe, James, and her sister, Sister Mary Serena Sheehy, SCL, and the deceased Sisters and Associates of the SCL Community. Sister Eileen will be missed by her many nieces and nephews, her friends, and all of her Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth and Associates.
Bonnie Ann Bachle was born on July 29, 1940, in Oklahoma City, Okla., the first and only girl of three children of Carl and Jean (Perry) Bachle. Her father chose the name "Bonnie" because of a singer he liked on the radio, not knowing that dancing would be her talent. At age 7, she took up ballet and tap at a local studio. Inspired by her instructor, she attended numerous recitals throughout primary and secondary school, sometimes to the chagrin of her two younger brothers who had to tag along. She graduated from John Carroll Grade School and Bishop McGuinness High School in Oklahoma City.
She entered the SCL Community on Aug. 30, 1960, and professed vows as Sister Jean Clare on Sept. 2, 1962, and later returned to her baptismal name. In 1965, she received a B.A. in English from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth, Kan., where she also took classes in modern dance. Nine years later, she completed a M.A. in dance from the University of California at Los Angeles.
From 1962 to 1968, Sister Bonnie taught in schools in Montana, Colorado, and Missouri, and often led dancing classes for high school students. In 1970, she returned to Saint Mary College to teach modern dance and ballet. She also mentored students in several forms of dance (such as jazz, folk, and tap). Dancers were often featured in the school's spring concerts, and by 1975, Saint Mary's offered a minor in dance. Sister Bonnie once commented, "Dance keeps me more alive. It's invigorating and keeps things happening inside the brain as well as the body. You experience the total person in dance." She continued to teach until 1979.
In 1980, she joined fellow Sisters Eileen Sheehy and Susan Newland in pastoral ministry assignments in various parishes in Missouri, Colorado, and Mississippi, often traveling to different churches on the same day. The collegiality she received from her partner Sisters and the blessings she derived from ministry to people in the parish made this the most meaningful work of her life. She worked in pastoral ministry for 30 years, until her retirement.
In 2010, during her 50 th anniversary with the SCL, she reflected on her life and ministry, "Never would I have dreamed that I'd be able to keep on with my dancing days as a Sister of Charity." She added, "When I joined the Sisters of Charity, I had hope of giving continual thanks to God for all of the blessings in my life. So, as I celebrate with all my SCL companions on the journey, I dance and sing out with joy, "Deo Gratias, Alleluia!" ("Thanks be to God, God be praised.")
Preceding Sister Bonnie in death were her parents. Survivors include 2 brothers, John Bachle and William Bachle, as well as 4 nephews and 3 nieces, and the SCL Community.
StMary Clare was a distant relative. Her mom, Hildegard was a sister to my uncle, Fat Lorsung. Sr Mary Clare was a very sweet lady! Will put her in my prayers! We have Sisters of Charity nuns here in Louisville and Bardstowm, Ky
Valerie Jackson on November 30, 2021 at 11:51 pm My deepest condolences to her family. Sister Peg was a beautiful soul. I worked for Catholic Charities for 8 years and she was Director. I learned so much from her. Reply
Vicki George on December 2, 2021 at 11:37 am I was very fortunate to have worked for Sister Peg at McCune School for Boys in the early ‘80's. She had a strong belief that bringing a woman onto campus to work within the boys' cottages would have a positive effect on their behavior. I believe she was right, however, it was I who also benefited from her example of how to combine firm boundaries with compassion. "Miss" Driscoll and her faithful companion, Tonya, made a lasting impression on so many. Rest In Peace. Reply