Numerous women religious who have served (and may still be serving) in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are celebrating milestone jubilees of their profession of vows. More than 100 with ties to the archdiocese were honored last January (and were mentioned in The Tidings’ July 20 issue). This week, The Tidings highlights the service of some of the jubilarian sisters. School Sisters of St. Francis On June 16, 50 U.S. School Sisters of St. Francis celebrated milestone anniversaries of service as women religious, along with eight lay associates who also celebrated 25- and 40-year jubilees. Among the jubilarians were two who have served in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, both of whom now reside in Wisconsin: —Sister Marion James (80 years) was born in Chicago, and has a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and a master’s degree from Loyola University. In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Sister James served as dean of students at Mary Star of the Sea High School in San Pedro (1978-81), and taught at Chaminade Preparatory High School, West Hills (1981-89).—Sister Julie Dermody (50 years) was born in Madison, Wis., and has a bachelor’s degree from Alverno College and a master’s degree from Cardinal Stritch University. Locally, she taught at St. Charles Borromeo School, North Hollywood (1992-99).Sisters of Providence A dozen Sisters of Providence will celebrate 50 to 75 years of religious life on Sept. 15 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Seattle. The jubilarians include:—Sister Naomi (Agnes Elizabeth) Hurd (70 years) was born in Cle Elum, Wash., entered the novitiate at Mount St. Vincent, Seattle, and made profession in 1943. She earned master’s degrees in theology and library science and taught in Washington, Illinois and Burbank, where she served as librarian at Providence High School before taking on the task of planning and opening the new medical library for St. Joseph Medical Center.—Sister Mary Leona (Virginia Mary) Miller (70 years) served nearly five decades as a first grade teacher, receiving the Outstanding Teacher in America award in 1975 and other honors. Born in Glenwood, Minn., she made profession in 1943 at Mount St. Vincent and taught at schools in Washington and in Burbank. She retired in 1990, the last teaching nun in Vancouver, but continued to be a volunteer tutor and parish minister there. —Sister Cecile Gabrielle Roux (60 years), born in Massachusetts, entered the Providence novitiate in Montreal in 1951, making profession in 1953, and taught more than 20 years at St. Finbar, Burbank. After multiple sclerosis slowed her pace, she developed a small-group remedial reading program that allowed her to keep teaching in Burbank and later to volunteer in Seattle. She also was bookkeeper at the Sisters of Providence residence in Burbank, member of the board of directors of the Rowe Memorial Day Care Center in Los Angeles, and patient visitor at Esther Pariseau Pavilion, Burbank. She retired in 1986.—Sister Mary Alice (Anna Catherine) Miller (50 years), born in Los Angeles and raised in the Burbank-Glendale area, met her first Sisters of Providence at Providence High School. She was part of the first postulant group to enter at the newly-opened College of Sister Formation at Providence Heights in Issaquah, Wash. Final vows were made in her home parish of Incarnation, Glendale, in 1969. She taught for 33 years, in Washington and at St. Finbar, Burbank. After serving as assistant to the treasurer at the Provincial Offices in Seattle, she returned to Southern California in 1987, teaching 19 years at St. Robert Bellarmine School, and is still active in the parish. —Sister Barbara Rose Schamber (50 years), born in Chicago, moved with her family to Sun Valley and enrolled in Providence High School, which had opened two years earlier. After graduation she entered the Sisters of Providence at Providence Heights. She served as a teacher in Washington and at St. Finbar, and as principal of Providence Montessori School in Portland, Ore., before becoming provincial superior of the former Sacred Heart Province in 1986. She returned to California as principal of St. Elisabeth School, Van Nuys, and then was selected as provincial superior of the new Mother Joseph Province in 2000. Since 2010, she has been a sponsor of the Providence Ministries, a Catholic Church entity of religious and lay people that charged with assuring the Catholic identity of the ministries of Providence Health & Services. Sisters of Charity BVMFour Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, all of whom entered the congregation on Sept. 8, 1937 and professed first vows on March 19, 1940, are among 11 diamond jubilarians (75 years) who will gather in the Mount Carmel Motherhouse Chapel in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sept. 9 for a liturgy of thanksgiving. —Sister Frances Loretta Berger, born in La Crosse, Wis., taught elementary school at Assumption, East Los Angeles, and in Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City and New Hampton and Mason City, Iowa. She served as librarian at Mundelein College in Chicago and in the science library at Loyola University Chicago for many years. —Sister Eileen (Matilda) Galvin, born in Kansas City, ministered as an educator and nurse. Sister taught elementary school for nearly 30 years and ministered for over 20 years as a registered nurse at hospitals in Illinois, West Virginia, Kansas City and at State Hospital and Pleasant Valley Hospital in Port Hueneme.—Sister Virginia (Flocella) Hughes, born in Burlington, Iowa, taught at St. Robert Bellarmine, Burbank, and at schools in Illinois and Iowa. She served in religious education for the remainder of her ministry: for the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa; for the Department of Education, Washington, D.C.; and in Chicago at Mundelein College and Loyola University. —Sister Kathryn (Madeleine) Maher, born in Chicago, was superior/principal at St. Philip the Apostle, Pasadena, and at Holy Family High School, Glendale. She was co-director of the Newman Center, Cal State University, and religious education director at St. Anne Church, Santa Ana. She later volunteered at hospitals and at Mundelein College, Chicago.—Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, born in San Francisco, taught elementary school at St. Bernard and St. Brendan, Los Angeles, and St. Charles Borromeo, North Hollywood, as well as in Chicago. During 20 years at Mundelein College, her duties included associate dean and associate VP for academic affairs. Since 1991 she has served in administration at Loyola University, Chicago, and is also a chaplain.Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Sister Caroline (Francis Xavier) Sanchez (60 years), a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur with ties to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, will be among 17 jubilarians honored during a Mass of Thanksgiving Aug. 26 at Notre Dame de Namur University. She grew up in St. Columbkille Church, L.A., and entered the convent after high school graduation. For 20 years she taught grades 4-8, seven years at Mother of Sorrows School in Los Angeles. After 16 years as an infirmarian at the Notre Dame Villa in Saratoga, she returned to Los Angeles to teach English to parents of St. Columbkille School students. Later she was the Notre Dame AmeriCorps coordinator in Los Angeles for seven years. Today she is director of the St. Julie Center at St. Columbkille, and for 11 years has volunteered in the afterschool Homework Help program.Ed. Note: Additional jubilarians (ordained and religious) may be acknowledged in The Tidings at a later date; please send relevant information to [email protected].{gallery width=100 height=100}gallery/2012/0810/jubcarmelites/{/gallery}
