Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati / In Memoriam

In Memoriam

S. Therese Marie Tuszynski

S. Therese Marie Tuszynski died May 8, 2013, at the age of 82 in Mother Margaret Hall. She was born Rosaline Tuszynski on Oct. 13, 1930, to Francis and Mary (Nowacki) Tuszynski in Detroit, Mich. S. Therese Marie was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 63 years.

S. Therese Marie attended St. Leo School in Detroit. She attributed the contacts she had with the Sisters of Charity who taught her as encouraging her to follow a religious vocation. Sister entered the Congregation in 1949, following her high school graduation.

S. Therese Marie earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Mount St. Joseph in 1958. She earned a master’s degree in American History from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. in 1970.

For 48 years S. Therese Marie taught as a secondary and junior high instructor in Michigan and Ohio. She began ministering in 1951 at Holy Name in Cleveland. After five years she moved to Holy Angels, Sidney, Ohio, (1956 – ’60); she also served at St. Michael, Findlay, Ohio, (1960 – ’63). S. Therese Marie began working with high school students at Marian (now Purcell Marian) High School, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1963. She ministered in the same role at St. Mary, Jackson, Mich., (1966 – ’68). For the next 31 years S. Therese Marie served the high school students at Holy Name, Parma Heights, Ohio, a place she loved.

In 2000 she chose to become a professor of history at Lakeland Community College, Kirtland, Ohio, where she remained until 2003 when she moved to the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse. Ever the educator, Sister volunteered her talents as a GED instructor, helping students to gain the knowledge and skills needed. She also taught in the College of Mount St. Joseph (Cincinnati) LifeLearn Program, a program of noncredit educational opportunities for learners 50 years and older. In 2007 S. Therese Marie retired from teaching following 56 years of guiding, coaching and mentoring young minds; her classroom was always a hub of focused learning. She has since served in the Ministry of Prayer in Mother Margaret Hall.

Associate Kathryn "Kass" McConlogue

Associate Kathryn “Kass” McConlogue died on April 24, 2013. Kass was born on Oct. 19, 1925, in Philadelphia, Pa. She had two brothers and one sister. She met Larry McConlogue at a parish dance and they married on Aug. 2, 1948. Kass and Larry had four daughters: Kathy, Marybeth, Patty and Christine and two sons: Larry Jr. and Michael. Larry served in the Navy in Guam and then began working at Ford. Kass met the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in Outer Banks, N.C., in 2001.

“I worked and prayed with Sisters Margarita Brewer, Mary Kay Bush and Margaret Marie Anthony, affectionately known as S. Francis, for many years,” Kass once wrote “… I feel my commitment to the Community is strong and surely want to continue to be a part of the Associates.”

But her family’s sudden decision to move to be near family in Michigan hindered her plan for making her formal commitment. On May 5, 2005, Kass made her commitment at the Shrine of the Little Flower parish in Royal Oak, Mich., with several Sisters of Charity and Associates present. With tears in her eyes, Kass said the words of commitment as her husband, Larry, looked on. She formalized the relationship that she had felt in her heart for so long.

Kass was an excellent quilter and seamstress. She enjoyed golf, reading, the beach and volunteering at her parish as a lector and presider at Communion services. She always wished she were closer to Cincinnati and her Charity family. In 2009, when she sent her commitment papers, she wrote, “My commitment is sincere. I did my meditation with my Jesus and His Mother. Perhaps this will be the year I will make the long drive to Royal Oak and pray with the good Sisters at the Shrine, or better yet, accept the invitation to pray at the chapel in the Motherhouse.” The health of her husband, Larry, her own health and the death of her son, Michael, prevented her trip.

Kass wrote about Elizabeth Seton and Margaret George in her preparation for commitment: “Their acceptance of their lives as God planned – not their own plan – inspires me,” she said. “I pray daily for that kind of deep faith that will allow me to reach out for my God’s hand and allow me to work through problems one at a time, as they appear.”

Kass had 12 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and many, many friends.

S. Angela Marie Chiado

S. Angela Marie Chiado died March 29, 2013, at the age of 94 at Mother Margaret Hall. She was born Anna A. Chiado to parents Thomas J. and Marguerite Chiado in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 18, 1918. S. Angela Marie was a Sister of Charity for 75 years.

S. Angela Marie was born in San Antonio, but moved to Albuquerque, N.M., at age 11 due to her father’s poor health. She states in her autobiography that the move was hard for her, but a relationship she formed with her Sister of Charity teacher changed that. She immediately knew she wanted to become a Sister.

S. Angela Marie entered the Sisters of Charity in 1937. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the College of Mount St. Joseph in 1946 and a Master of Arts in home economics from Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1953. She ministered in education in Ohio, New Mexico and Colorado, beginning in junior high at Holy Family, Price Hill, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1939.

Sister moved to high school teaching in the field of home economics at St. Rose, Lima, Ohio, (1946 – ’53), then to St. Vincent, Albuquerque, N.M., (1953 – ’54); Pueblo Catholic, Pueblo, Colo., (1954 – ’56); Catholic Central, Springfield, Ohio, (1956 – ’59). Next Sister was called to the college faculty, ministering at the College of Mount St. Joseph, Cincinnati, Ohio, (1959 – ’75), chairing the home economics department. There she completed her classroom ministry after 36 years of teaching.

S. Angela Marie became certified in clinical pastoral education in 1976, working first as a parish minister at St. Vincent de Paul, Cincinnati, Ohio, for two years. The pastoral care opportunity in hospitals held an appeal and she brought her gifts to Bethesda Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, (1977 – ’78) as a clinical pastoral resident. She returned to her beloved West as a pastoral associate at St. Joseph Hospital, Albuquerque, N.M., (1978 – ’94).

In an article she wrote in Intercom in 1992, S. Angela Marie spoke of her love for the pastoral care
ministry and what the patients have taught her. She said, “Experiencing the patients’ openness I am more trusting; because of their suffering I am more gentle; because of their need for help I am more ready to accept help. I feel they have done far more for me.”

In her retirement years S. Angela Marie enjoyed being at the Motherhouse, seeing her active life of ministry coming full circle. For the next five years Sister served as a volunteer receptionist at EarthConnection where she treasured the beauty and serenity of the building and grounds, deepening her appreciation of nature. She named her most rewarding assignment as serving on the Investment Committee for the Empowerment of the Oppressed in the 1990s through the Seton Enablement Fund. The goal of empowering people to help themselves happened time and time again during her years of service on the committee.

Associate Joyce Yorkievitz

Associate Joyce Yorkievitz was born Joyce Zastrow on June 7, 1925, in Oshkosh, Wisc., the oldest of five children. Joyce’s family was Protestant, but when she decided to marry Louis Yorkievitz, a Catholic, she converted to Catholicism. Together, she and Louis had three girls, Carol, Kathy and Mary Lou. After 10 years of marriage, Louis left and Joyce was alone to raise her family of three young daughters, ages 10, 7 and 3. Joyce worked part-time as a nurse’s aide but decided to return to school to become a registered nurse. She attended Cuyahoga Community College and then Ursuline College, Cleveland, for more courses and the Bachelor of Arts degree. She worked for almost 40 years at Marymount Hospital in Garfield Heights.

S. Mary Ann Flannery said, “Joyce was an exceptional oncology nurse and one of the first members of the St. Joseph Ministry for the Dying, a group of persons who went to homes to offer nursing and pastoral care to the dying, before hospice was available.”

In the 1980s, Joyce made her commitment as an Associate with the Vincentian Sisters of Charity in Bedford, Ohio, and when that Congregation merged with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in June 2004, Joyce made her commitment to them. From the very first moment, Joyce wrote, “I felt welcomed, special to them and a real part of the community.”

Joyce continued as a nurse practitioner even after she left the hospital. She served as an advocate for friends, neighbors and the Sisters when they were in treatment or needed health care until she herself needed special care.

At the time of her death, Joyce had five grandchildren and another “on the way.” She died peacefully on March 21, 2013, at Light of Hearts Villa in Bedford, Ohio.

S. Agnes Schlaumleffel

S. Agnes Schaumleffel (formerly Agnes Celestia) died March 10, 2013, at the age of 91 in Mother Margaret Hall. She was born Ellen Marie Schaumleffel on Dec. 22, 1921, in Cincinnati, Ohio. S. Agnes was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 69 years.

Due to the early death of her mother S. Agnes went to live with relatives in Elwood, Ind. Her musical interests and unusual talent were discovered at 3 years of age; she was playing the piano and organ by age 7. Returning to Cincinnati piano and organ lessons continued with S. Agnes Eppley as a student at Seton High School; she was a volunteer organist for daily morning Mass at Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati. S. Agnes attributed her personal development and involvement in music to her teacher, mentor and long-time friend S. Agnes Eppley. When S. Agnes Eppley’s health failed S. Agnes Schaumleffel played for two Masses a day at the Motherhouse while still a novice.

When she celebrated her 80th birthday S. Agnes said, “Music is within my being in a way that influences my prayer life, and I hope to assist others in their prayer lives by playing and help them draw closer to God. I think it’s innate with me, a gift of God.” She has long been dedicated to bringing the gift of song to others. Over the years she frequently serenaded the Sisters with Broadway tunes during meals in the Motherhouse dining room.

S. Agnes entered the Congregation in September 1943, and soon after her novitiate she was missioned to the Treasurer’s Office “to assist Treasurer S. Elise Halloran in all ways I could.” That she did! This included serving as secretary and accountant, using the skills she had developed prior to entering. She remained in the Treasurer’s Office of the Congregation for 23 years, traveling the country with S. Elise, taking verbatim minutes, developing newspaper releases by the score, always on behalf of the SC hospitals and the less fortunate in our society.

S. Agnes earned a Bachelor of Science degree in commerce accounting in 1958 from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo. In 1968 she went to Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, to serve as business manager for four offices. She returned to serve as executive treasurer of the Congregation from 1971 –’75. She served on six different Sisters of Charity Hospital Boards of Trustees as well as numerous committees for other nonprofit agencies. At that time she also became a regional leader in the newly formed corporate responsibility movement (Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility) and was a main player in the building of Senior Chateau, a housing project for the elderly in East Price Hill, Cincinnati.

In 1976-’86 S. Agnes served as administrator of Mother Margaret Hall where she introduced programs that led to Mother Margaret Hall becoming a licensed long-term care facility. During this time when Sister occupancy declined S. Agnes introduced a plan for lay women to be served; this was offered for mothers and relatives of Sisters of Charity for a number of years. In 1987 she returned to the Treasurer’s Office serving as the administrator of Sisters’ health insurance, a position she held for 16 years prior to her retirement in 2003. There she offered her expertise in the ever-changing, ever-challenging health insurance arena. She served with a smile, always with infinite patience and dogged persistence, negotiating a wide variety of health insurance issues.

S. Agnes always had what she called ‘side-life apostolates’; they were sure to include music and something for the poor. Over her 65 years of ministry Sister served many parishes in the area as weekend organist, most recently at St. Simon the Apostle, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Francis Seraph and Bayley Senior Care. She served on local boards and championed such causes as Santa Maria Neighborhood Services, the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center, Over-the-Rhine Community Council and her beloved Vine St. Neighborhood Service Center.

S. Agnes was a gifted, quiet, humble woman who throughout her life shared, without reservation, her time and talent for the needs of the Congregation and God’s people. She always carried in her heart a deep commitment to the less fortunate. She had the ability to bring people together and engaged them in the use of their creative talents. She will be missed by many.

Associate Peg Granger

Associate Peg Granger died Feb. 26, 2013, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Peg was born on Nov. 25, 1917, to Maryann Smyth and Peter Madden, the second of five children. She was an esteemed graduate of the College of New Rochelle (New York) in 1939. Her studies were math and physics, but her career path in the late 1940s took her to Manhattan as lexicographer/editor, compiling the first Random House paperback dictionary, as well as the widely used Thorndike Barnhart volume.

Peg met her husband, Alfred Granger, while working as a journalist at the Denver Catholic Register. He worked as reporter and editor on newspaper, radio and television across Colorado from Sterling to Grand Junction to Colorado Springs. Peg continued her career work as research editor with Loretta Heights College and Grolier Publishing Company. She became mother to six children; Peg and Alfred had 11 grandchildren. Peg read extensively throughout her life. S. Rose Virginia Brown remembered, “Peg could carry on a conversation about any subject. She always wanted to be certain that whatever was discussed was correct.”

Peg’s informal association with the Sisters of Charity began in 1929 in grade school but she formally became an Associate in Mission on Jan. 9, 2000. Peg made her commitment with three other women, Margaret Sziich, Forrest Lamberty and Betty Sullivan, who were among the first members of the El Pomar Retreat League. The members of this league would go to churches and gatherings of women to discuss the importance of retreats for women and the specific events scheduled for El Pomar. Peg produced a quarterly newsletter about the retreat center. They helped plan fundraising activities and did whatever they could to promote the retreats. S. Noreen Ellison commented, “Peg had a heart for working on behalf of peace and justice. And, she was full of common sense and genuinely good.”

Peg donated her body to science and research. She was unfailingly gracious, kind and generous to all.

For remembrances of Peg, click here.

S. Gemma Glutz

S. Gemma Glutz died Thursday, Feb. 16, 2013, at the age of 86 at Mother Margaret Hall, the nursing facility of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. She was born Mary Catherine Glutz on Oct. 18, 1926, to Christian and Josephine (Heitker) Glutz in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sister Gemma was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 66 years.

Sister Gemma attended Immaculata School and St. Mary High School in Cincinnati. She attributed the contacts with the Sisters of Charity who taught her as leading her to follow in their footsteps as a woman religious. “I always thought the important factor in my life was that I was born on Mount Adams and grew up in a very Catholic atmosphere; there was something religious happening all the time – processions, programs, services, novenas,” she recalled in her Golden Jubilee autobiography. “Growing up it was an area of about one square mile, but included a Passionist Monastery, three Catholic Schools, two convents and two Catholic churches.” The Glutz family meat market was another essential ingredient on Mount Adams, providing for their family livelihood.

S. Gemma earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from the College of Mount St. Joseph in 1961. For 33 years Sister Gemma taught in schools in Cincinnati, Springfield, Xenia, Kettering and Amelia in Ohio and Lansing, Bay City and Detroit in Michigan. She began teaching in 1948 at St. Mary, Lansing, Mich. Sister especially loved her four years at her home parish of Holy Cross, Cincinnati, Ohio, (1959-’63) where she taught the children of her former neighbors and friends.

Sister had a sabbatical year in 1981 which gave a new direction to her life. The following year she transitioned into parish ministry in rural Kentucky, in the dioceses of Covington and Lexington. This she continued for 12 years with outreach to the rural poor, often in an atmosphere somewhat hostile to Catholics who found themselves in need. Sister Gemma worked to convince many in the area that Catholics are caring and loving people. She felt privileged to serve God’s people in the person of the poor and the unchurched. There she saw God in his people.

When it came time to retire Sister chose to come to the Motherhouse in 1994, volunteering in Mother Margaret Hall and at the reception desk in the Motherhouse, a ministry she was faithful to for more than 15 years. She saw this service as a change of focus rather than retirement. When Sister was a young child she made a booklet for a class entitled “A Voice with a Smile Always Wins.” She carried this attitude to her reception desk ministry, always bringing a smile to those she assisted in person or on the phone, always going the extra mile.

For remembrances of S. Gemma, click here.

S. Therese Ann Reis

S. Therese Ann Reis died Friday, Feb. 15, 2013, at the age of 78 in Mother Margaret Hall. She was born Virginia Reis on Oct. 15, 1934, to Frederick and Geraldine (Menzer) Reis in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sister Therese Ann was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 60 years.

S. Therese Ann attended St. Michael School and Sycamore High School in Cincinnati. She had an identical twin sister, Sister Mary Geraldine, who was a Carmelite Sister for the Aged and Infirm. She attributed her sister and the contacts Sister Therese Ann had with the community her sister entered as encouraging her to follow a religious vocation as well. Sister Therese Ann felt called to be a teacher; on her visit to Mount St. Joseph it was Sister Alice Elizabeth Streit’s graciousness and interest in her that confirmed Sister Therese Ann’s decision to enter the Sisters of Charity.

S. Therese Ann earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from the College of Mount St. Joseph in 1962. She earned advanced degrees from the University of Detroit in mathematics (1973) and administration (1980). In the classroom she liked to make student learning practical and visual, often using a variety of mediums to teach a lesson; she was a creative teacher.

For 39 years S. Therese Ann taught in schools in Maryland, Michigan and Ohio. She began teaching in 1955 at Holy Redeemer, Kensington, Md. She also served at Guardian Angels, Detroit, Mich., (1959 –’62); St. Mary, Marion, Ohio, (1962 –’69); St. Mary, Greenville, Ohio, (1969 –’70). Her educational career included 17 years as an elementary principal in the Toledo diocese at St. Rose, Lima, Ohio, (1977 –’89) and St. Joseph, Crestline, Ohio, (1989 –’94).

Health difficulties in 1994 caused Sister to return to the Motherhouse, but this did not signal the end of her ministering. She accompanied Sisters to hospital tests and doctor visits for three years and then began serving in the Finance Office, a position she continued faithfully for more than 15 years. Volunteering in Mother Margaret Hall was a revered activity of Sister where she led seasonal craft projects with the Sister residents. Doing needlework was a favorite pastime.

A thrill for S. Therese Ann while serving in the Washington, D.C. area was to attend the signing of the official proclamation of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton as a saint by President Gerald Ford in the White House.

For remembrances of S. Therese Ann, click here.

S. De Paul Sandoval

S. De Paul Sandoval died Feb. 14, 2013, at the age of 99 at Mother Margaret Hall. She was born Cecilia Sandoval to parents Carlos and Louisa (Maldonato) Sandoval in El Frisco, Colo., on May 27, 1913. S. De Paul was a Sister of Charity for 79 years.

S. De Paul was born on a cattle ranch in the shadow of Fisher’s Peak near Trinidad, Colo. It was her love for the work of St. Vincent de Paul among God’s poor that led her to the Sisters of Charity.

S. De Paul was baptized at home by a Jesuit missionary who became a family friend; he was known as ‘Father Good.’ He confirmed her at age 3 and allowed her to receive her First Communion at age 8 along with two of her sisters. Father Good used the teacher’s chair for a confessional, hearing their confessions by the dim light of an oil lamp. Sister attended a rural, one-room school before going to St. Patrick’s boarding academy in Raton, N.M.

Sister attended Trinidad Junior College for one year, but missed the ranch and returned there to help her father round up cattle; it was during the Depression and they were not able to hire workers for the ranch. Seeing the many neighborhood children attend rural school without a religion teacher, S. De Paul rounded up all in the area and started a class, preparing them for First Holy Communion. It was then that she felt God’s call to help ‘round up souls.’ She knocked on the door of Holy Trinity Convent in Trinidad, Mother Mary Regina Russell answered and the rest is history.

S. De Paul received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1946 from Catholic Teacher’s College, Albuquerque, N.M. Sister taught for 50 years, beginning at St. Leo, Detroit, Mich., in 1935. She ministered in education in Ohio, New Mexico, Colorado and Michigan, including her native Trinidad at Holy Trinity School. Sister referred to her most fulfilling days in education as being at St. Francis and San Felipe Schools, Albuquerque, N.M., where the children were among the very poorest.

Retirement from the classroom in 1985 did not slow down S. De Paul; it allowed her to pursue other ministries she had long desired to do in the Trinidad area. She and S. Francis Beatrice Hennigan had visited prisoners ‘on the quiet,’ as she said, while teaching in Albuquerque; in Trinidad the jail was only five blocks. She began a ministry to the inmates at the Las Animas County Jail which she continued for 11 years. Each week she would visit as many as 20 prisoners, taking reading material, rosaries and candy bars. On Saturday she carried Communion to them. Those in lock-up received a personal visit in their cells while others gathered in a common room where they sat and listened to gospel stories, music or just talked. Sister brought the prisoners encouragement in her words of faith and hope. She also helped open a soup kitchen, visited the homebound, and taught mentally handicapped adults at the Community College. Their goal was to earn their GED. She walked the streets of Trinidad, ministering to the troubled youth as well, always seeking to instill in them the desire to improve themselves and their surroundings.

A verse she recited in high school remained her desire for her final assignment.
“When I die and go to heaven
I don’t want harps, robes, haloes or other fancy things
Just let me ride the starry ranges
On a pinto horse with wings.”

For remembrances of S. De Paul, click here.

S. Marianne Schroeder

S. Marianne (formerly James Mary) Schroeder died Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, at the age of 83 at Good Samaritan Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio. She was born Marianne Schroeder on June 25, 1929, to Herbert and Elizabeth (McAvoy) Schroeder in Cincinnati, Ohio. S. Marianne was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 65 years.

S. Marianne attended St. Teresa of Avila School and Seton High School in Cincinnati. She attributed the warmth and humanness of the Sisters who taught her in high school, along with their interest in the lives of the students, to leading her to follow in their footsteps. With the death of her father at an early age the family moved in with her McAvoy grandmother and two aunts; Sister valued being raised in an Irish home. Her teacher, mentor and long-time friend was S. Catherine McCarthy.

For 38 years S. Marianne taught in schools in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Ohio, and Chicago, Ill., including her alma mater, Seton High School, as assistant principal of academics (1969-’73). She ministered in education on the elementary and secondary levels, beginning in 1949 at St. Dominic, Cincinnati, Ohio. Sister loved her years at Holy Name High School, Cleveland, Ohio, (1960-’68) and Elder High School, Cincinnati, Ohio, (1975-’87). At Holy Name her journalism classes received a national award for their work on the school paper, The Name, in 1967 and 1968. At Elder S. Marianne served as the librarian, herself directing the entire library renovation project in the early 1980s. S. Marianne was also an avid Cincinnati Reds fan, occasionally calling them with a personal message.

When it came time to retire Sister chose to come to the Sisters of Charity Archives, beginning in 1987, a work she was faithful to until 2006. S. Judith Metz, director of the Sisters of Charity Archives, said, “S. Marianne was an integral member of the Archives staff for nearly 20 years. She was always enthusiastic about her work and pioneered our efforts in the digitization of the archival collections. We loved having her with us.”

For remembrances of S. Marianne, click here.

S. Lillian (Lila) Sandoval

S. Lillian (Lila) Sandoval died Feb. 2, 2013, at the age of 88 at Mother Margaret Hall. She was born Lila Stella Sandoval on March 12, 1924, in Albuquerque, N.M. S. Lila was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 69 years.

S. Lila was the oldest of 10 children born into a loving, Catholic family. Sister once wrote of herself as having enough babysitting experience to know that she loved children; she always envisioned herself in education. It was S. Isabella Glenn, her high school teacher and mentor, who inspired her to follow her vocation. She attended St. Mary Elementary School and graduated from St. Mary High School, both in Albuquerque.

For more than 30 years S. Lila taught in schools in Ohio, Colorado and New Mexico, including her alma maters, St. Mary elementary and high schools (1960-’63, 1968-’69 and 1976-’77). She ministered on the intermediate, junior high and secondary levels, beginning in 1945 at Holy Name, Cleveland, Ohio.

In 1977 Sister looked to tie her teaching more directly to religious education specifically; she accepted a position as director of religious education at St. Bernadette, Albuquerque. S. Lila continued this ministry for 15 years in New Mexico, Colorado and Ohio.

When S. Lila came to the Motherhouse to retire in 1994 she continued to serve, first at Holy Family School, Cincinnati, Ohio, where she taught creative arts. She also assisted in Mother Margaret Hall’s library before working in the tutoring program for Sisters of Charity employees. After seven years she was named director of the program; she, along with five other Sisters of Charity, helped employees earn their G.E.D., improve confidence with math and reading, and even acquire a speaking knowledge of Spanish. The rewards for participating were realized by employees as well as tutors; it was a win-win, an appreciated benefit to employees, and a way for Sisters to maintain their teaching skills.

For remembrances of S. Lila, click here.

Associate Rose Mary Mullen

Associate Rose Mary Mullen died on Jan. 30, 2013. She was born in Newport, Ky., on July 26, 1932, one of five children born to Clifford and Ella Mullen. Roe attended St. Lawrence Grade School and Seton High School, and in her senior year, she entered the Sisters of Charity. She actually completed her first semester of college the day before her graduation from high school.

After she received her habit, Rose took the name S. Rose Annette. She then taught at or was the principal of schools in Albuquerque, N.M., Springfield, Ohio, Bay City, Mich., and then back in Ohio in Granville, Findlay and Alger. In 1973 while in Alger, she decided that her vocation in life was heading in a different direction, so she left the Sisters of Charity, and returned to the name Rose.

She joined S. Laetitia Slusser in Westminster, Colo., to direct religious education at Holy Trinity parish. From there, Rose joined with Fr. Flaherty to establish an experimental parish called Spirit of Peace in Longmont, Colo., which is still thriving today as St. Francis of Assisi. She moved to Kansas City to become the pastoral life and ministry director for the Diocese of Kansas City. After 10 years, she moved to Berea, Ky., to be closer to her family and took a similar position with the Diocese of Lexington at St. Clare’s parish.

Rose’s education was as extensive as her service to the Church. She had a master’s degree from the School of Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and a Master’s of Divinity, Summa Cum Laude, from the St. Thomas Theological Seminary. She was the first woman to earn this degree from the seminary. She travelled to Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Denmark and Israel throughout her life.

She finally retired in 2006 and moved to Bayley in 2010 when she rejoined the Sisters of Charity as an Associate in Mission. In her discernment paper she wrote, “Coming back to live so closely to the Motherhouse has stirred my spirit to become an Associate of Charity and dedicate the rest of my life to be of help in any way I can.”

For remembrances of S. Rose, click here.

Associate Jean Stoehr

Associate Jean M. (nee Hellkamp) Stoehr died Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. Born Sept. 10, 1931, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jean had two brothers and one sister. Her father owned a grocery store near Eighth and State streets in Price Hill. Jean attended Blessed Sacrament grade school and graduated from Seton High School in 1949 where she was elected prom queen. She and her husband, Paul, had three children and six grandchildren. Paul died in 1979 and Jean carried on as a single parent with strength and a positive outlook.

An active parishioner of St. William Church for more than 50 years, Jean served her community well as choir member, Eucharistic minister and lector. There she also welcomed people into the church as a Catechist, and offered consolation to the sorrowful on the Bereavement Committee. Jean was a member of the Price Hill Historical Society (PHHS) doing interviews and writing oral histories to document the past. She worked as an executive secretary for PNC Bank.

In May 1998 Jean made her commitment as an Associate in Mission with the Sisters of Charity where she volunteered at Mother Margaret Hall. She loved visiting Mount St. Joseph and wrote, “I have come to love the sense of peace that greets me as I drive through the gates.”

Jean was fun and made friends easily. She dearly loved people and participated in many groups - Neumann Club, Card Club, Book Club, Canasta Card Club, Breakfast Club, Supper Club, the Healthplex, small group prayer, Heinz Variety and at Bayley. In her 81 years, Jean was a great lady of strong character, deep faith and a kind disposition. She made a difference in the lives of many people.

For remembrances of Jean, click here.

Sister Teresa Mary Chiou

S. Teresa Mary Chiou died Dec. 20, 2012, at the age of 97 at Mother Margaret Hall. Born Teresa Mary Chiou on Aug. 27, 1915, in Peking (now Beijing), China, she was the daughter of Matthias and Mary (Yang) Chiou. S. Teresa Mary was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 73 years.

S. Teresa Mary was born into a Catholic family, close-knit and very loving. Her father worked for the railroad so her family took many trips together. It was on a trip to Hankow that she first met the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati; she knew immediately that she wanted to live with them. Sister began working in the training school with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati at St. Joseph Hospital in Wuchang, China. The hospital, a mission of the Sisters of Charity, cared for the aged, the sick, orphans and also served as a training center for nurses.

S. Teresa Mary entered the Community in 1939, completing her novitiate in Wuchang, China. We read in Sister’s autobiography the following: “At that time the territory from China’s North East States to Wuchang was occupied by the Japanese. In 1943, during World War II, U.S. women and men religious were taken to a concentration camp in Shanghai, but Chinese-born Sisters were allowed to stay at St. Joseph Hospital to treat war casualties until the end of the war in 1945, when Sisters of Charity were able to return to the hospital.” However, the Sisters’ work amidst continuing hostilities between the Nationalists and the Communists was compromised. By 1949, it became necessary for the Sisters to leave China in the wake of the Communist takeover.

When S. Teresa Mary came to the United States in 1948 she worked as a nurse aid in Mother Margaret Hall, the nursing facility of the Sisters of Charity located on the Motherhouse grounds. After seven years Sister went west to serve as a group mother at St. Vincent Orphanage in Santa Fe, N.M., (1955-’57). Next she went to Margery Reed Nursery, Denver, Colo., (1957-’64) again serving as a group mother. In 1964 she began ministering as a LPN at St. Joseph Infant and Maternity Home (now St. Joseph Home) where she remained for 28 years; she served as a seamstress and an activity coordinator for the last three years. Sister retired to the Motherhouse in 1992, serving as a patient companion for the sick and elderly sisters.

S. Teresa Mary returned to China three times to visit; on the last trip in 1988 she celebrated Chinese New Year there and was conscious of how much her country had changed, “mostly for the better,” she remarked.

For remembrances of S. Teresa Mary, click here.

Associate Helen Kaminski

Associate Helen (Domey) Kaminski died Nov. 14, 2012. Helen was born on Dec. 16, 1926, in Lynn, Mass. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of St. Joseph in Vermont and a master’s degree in biology from the University of Notre Dame. She taught high school biology in Vermont for 20 years. She described her husband, Walter, as her “best friend.” They had one son, Dean.

Helen made her commitment as an Associate in Mission in April 2001. Sisters Kay Willenborg, Mary Bodde and Mildred Shaver along with Associates Florence Kraemer, Marilyn Holland and Julie Rettel were among those present. In her application she wrote, “I would like to share my time, my prayers, whatever talents I have that will be of service, and the wisdom I have gained over my many years of living life!”

Helen was active in her parish, St. Paul of Tarsus in Clinton Township, Mich., after she retired. She served as a Eucharistic Minister. “I am very honored to bring Christ to shut-ins,” she wrote in 2002. Helen loved to dance. Up until the late 1990s Helen danced with the Syncopated Seniors. “We entertained everywhere – nursing homes, schools and more.” Helen shared more than dancing, though, she shared her faith and love with so many. She once wrote, “I feel being an Associate will deepen my own love of God and make me more aware of finding God in the everyday, in the present moment; I guess in realizing that this present moment is blessed. I am truly blessed in becoming an Associate of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.”

For remembrances of S. Helen, click here.