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In Memoriam

 

                                                                    

Sr. Hilda Marie Shaunessy   Sr. Alice Patricia Harvey  Sr. Helen Marie Haley

                                                              

Sr. M. Monica Fatora                 Sr. Patricia Jordan   Sr. Catherine Francis Kern

Sister Hilda Marie Shaunessy, SC

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Sister Hilda Marie Shaunessy, SC, age 87, died Tuesday, March 25, 2008, at Caritas Christi, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity in Greensburg. She was preceded in death by her parents, James M. and Hilda (Conrad) Shaunessy, two brothers, James, Jr. and Walter, two sisters, Mrs. Josephine (John) McCloskey and Mrs. Barbara McCorkel. She is survived by a brother John T. and three sisters, Mrs. Alverta (Irvin) Allison, Catherine Shaunessy and Mrs. Frances (Gilbert) Lease, and nieces and nephews. A native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sister Hilda Marie entered the congregation of the Sisters of Charity on September 8, 1940, from Cathedral Parish in Altoona. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Duquesne University and taught students in the upper elementary and high school levels in the dioceses of Altoona-Johnstown, Greensburg and Pittsburgh. She was principal of Our Lady of Mercy School in Johnstown and of Saint Michael School, Pitcairn. After her retirement from the classroom, Sister Hilda Marie ministered at Saint Joseph House of Hospitality in Pittsburgh and to the frail and elderly at the Seton Adult Day Care Center, Greensburg. Generous and perceptive, Sister Hilda Marie always reached out, in a caring and encouraging way to the needy student and adult, embodying the teaching of Elizabeth Ann Seton, “Every good action is a grain of seed for eternal life.”

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Sister Alice Patricia Harvey, SC  

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Sister Alice Patricia Harvey, SC, age 93, died Saturday, March 29, 2008, at Caritas Christi, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity in Greensburg. Preceded in death by her parents, Thomas P. and Alice (Bridge) Harvey, three brothers, Reverend James P., Joseph W., Leonard E. and three sisters, Loretta Hensler, Mrs. Alice ( M. A.) Callaghan, Mrs. Mary Gertrude (J. J.) Buggy, a maternal aunt, Sister Marie Fidelis Bridge, SC and a cousin, Sister Mary Hugh Bridge, SC, she is survived by nieces and nephews. A Latrobe native, Sister Alice Patricia entered the congregation of the Sisters of Charity on September 8, 1933, from Holy Family Parish, Latrobe, Pennsylvania. She received a diploma in nursing as a registered nurse, from Pittsburgh Hospital, and then earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the Catholic University of America and a master’s degree in nursing from Boston College. She ministered in nursing at Seton Hill University and at the former Providence Hospital in Beaver Falls where she was director of the School of Nursing from 1960-1965. She served at the former Pittsburgh Hospital as medical-surgical instructor of the School of Nursing from 1965-1971. From 1971-1982, Sister Alice Patricia was Executive Director of the Visiting Nurses’ Association of Westmoreland County, where, at her retirement, she received the Spirit Award on February 15,1983. After her retirement from active ministry, she volunteered, 1983-1992, at the Food Bank of Westmoreland County and then volunteered, 1992-2003, at the Greensburg-Hempfield Area Public Library. Sister Alice Patricia’s article, “Are Bread and Soup Enough?” was published in The Catholic Nurse, 1953. Tall, stately, competent and indefatigable, Sister Alice Patricia embraced the maxim of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, “Keep on with hard-earned, but eternal, blissful merit.”

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Sister Helen Marie Haley, SC

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Sister Helen Marie Haley, SC,  age 97, died Tuesday, April 29, 2008, at Caritas Christi, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity in Greensburg. Preceded in death by her parents, John J. and Alice (Minard) Haley, two sisters, Lucille Seehoffer Ritenour and Mrs. Evelyn Midden and a brother, Paul F. Haley, she is survived by a sister, Mrs. Betty (Gerald) Null, nieces and nephews. A native of Scottdale, PA, Sister Helen Marie entered the congregation of the Sisters of Charity on June 24, 1927, from Saint John the Baptist Parish, Scottdale, PA. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Duquesne University and taught students in schools of Greensburg, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Tucson dioceses and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.  She was appointed vice-principal at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Scottsdale, Arizona, and taught religion at Saint Catherine Indian Mission in Ajo, AZ. Sister Helen Marie remained active after her retirement by assisting the nursing and clerical staffs at Assumption Hall, the former infirmary for the Sisters of Charity. Endowed with a beautiful smile and a happy, positive disposition, Sister Helen Marie accepted Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton’s reminder that, “the best ingredients of happiness are, order, peace and solitude.”

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Sister M. Monica Fatora, SC

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Sister M. Monica Fatora, SC, age 85, died suddenly on Thursday, May 29, 2008, at UPMC Mercy Hospital. Born in New Derry, PA, Sister Monica entered the congregation of the Sisters of Charity on September 8, 1940, from Saints Simon and Jude Parish, Blairsville, PA. Preceded in death by her parents, John A. and Susan E. (Ritz) Fatora, two brothers, John A., Reverend Joachim, OSB and two sisters, Sister Mary Raymond, SC and Maryanne Fatora, she is survived by a brother, Jerome, and nieces and nephews. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Seton Hill University and a master’s degree in biology from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Sister Monica taught students of the junior high and secondary school level in schools of the Altoona-Johnstown, Greensburg and Pittsburgh dioceses. She was teaching at the former Elizabeth Seton High School when a merger took place between that school and South Hills Catholic High School in 1979. She remained at the new entity, Seton-LaSalle High School, as a teacher, thus earning the title, “Charter Faculty Member.” Sister Monica was chair of the science department at Seton La-Salle for nine years. In October 1988, Sister Monica was honored at Seton-LaSalle for her years of dedicated ministry to Catholic education. After she retired from the classroom, she assumed the management of the bookstore at Seton-LaSalle. Sister Monica also taught science and mathematics at Seton Hill University during the summer sessions of the1960s. Sister Monica spoke about her life as a Sister of Charity. “I owe my gift of religious life to the example and influence of my parents, my brothers and sisters. The Sisters of Charity inspired and encouraged me at Saints Simon and Jude grade school as did the priests who served in the parish.”

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Sister Patricia Jordan, SC

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Sister Patricia Jordan, SC (formerly Sister Thomas More), age 79, died Thursday, July 10, 2008, at Caritas Christi, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in Greensburg. Born in McKeesport, PA, Sister Patricia entered the congregation of the Sisters of Charity on September 8, 1946, from Saint John the Baptist Parish in Scottdale, PA. Preceded in death by her parents, Joseph W. and Irene E. (Peden) Jordan, two brothers, William J. and Joseph M. Jordan and two sisters, Barbara Whitehead and Alice Siwula, she is survived by a sister, Irene (Betty) E. Jordan, sister-in-law, Joanne Jordan, and nieces and nephews. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Seton Hill University and a master’s degree in music education from Duquesne University. Sister Patricia was an instructor in music and religion and taught students of the elementary and secondary level in diocesan schools of Greensburg and Pittsburgh. Her longest tenure as a teacher, 1968-1990, was at Sacred Heart High School in Shadyside. After she retired from the classroom, Sister Patricia taught private piano lessons at Sacred Heart 1990-2007. When she moved to Caritas Christi in October 2007, Sister Patricia continued to encourage and support all who cared for her. Of her life as a Sister of Charity, Sister Patricia said, “One of the greatest joys of my teaching career has been in revealing a part of God’s creation to so many children through the aesthetic beauty of music.”

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Sister Catherine Francis Kern, SC

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Sister Catherine Francis Kern, SC, age 91, died at Caritas Christi, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in Greensburg, on Friday, July 18, 2008. A Pittsburgh native, Sister Catherine Francis entered the congregation of the Sisters of Charity on September 8, 1940, from Saint Philip Parish in Crafton. She was preceded in death by her parents, Francis J. and Catherine (Rauch) Kern, six brothers: Francis, Joseph, Lawrence, John, James and Clarence, and two sisters, Mrs. Betty (Norman) Welsh and Mrs. Rose (Anthony) Raspanti. She is survived by nieces and nephews. She earned a bachelor’s degree in advanced medical and surgical nursing from the Catholic University of America and was a registered nurse. Sister Catherine Francis ministered at the former Pittsburgh Hospital from 1943 until 1959, alternately, as a clinical instructor, medical and surgical supervisor, operating room supervisor and instructor in the school of nursing. She also served as a night supervisor at Roselia Foundling and Maternity Hospital and was a nursing supervisor at Providence Hospital in Beaver Falls. In 1959, she was one of the first Sisters of Charity to help staff the former Mercy Jeannette Hospital, now Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital at Jeannette. She served there as director of nursing and operating room supervisor until 1980 when she was assigned nursing duty at Assumption Hall, the former infirmary for the sisters. From 1981 until 1993, Sister Catherine Francis was a medical review coordinator with the Keystone Peer Review Organization. After her retirement from this ministry, she volunteered her services at Mercy Jeannette now Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital at Jeannette as chapel sacristan. In reflecting on her life as a Sister of Charity, Sister Catherine Francis stated, “It has been a very rewarding life and the best opportunity to serve God by ministering to the ill.”

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