In Memoriam

Sister Agnes Cecilia Carroll
Sister never lost her desire for prayer and meditation.  Hers was a powerful faith, which gave her the strength to always smile and be gracious.   Devotion to Our Lady was a part of her prayer life and her daily rosary a special companion.

Sister Agnes Cecilia died November 2, 2007 at Mount Notre Dame Health Center at the age of 91. A native of East Chicago, Indiana, she was a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 72 years. During her 43 years as a classroom teacher, Sister was a member of the faculty at St. Robert Bellarmine School in Chicago and St. Victor in Calumet City, Illinois. She also taught in Cincinnati at St. Paul School, St. John the Baptist School and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and in Dayton at St. John Mission School. For 17 years, Sister taught in Arizona at Most Holy Trinity in Phoenix and St. Mary School in Kingman. In addition, she was a pastoral assistant at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Mammoth, Arizona and later at St. Henry Parish in Brigham, Utah. Sister also served as principal of St. Richard of Chichester School in Cincinnati.

Sister Alberta died September 17, 2007 at Mount Notre Dame Health Center at the age of 92. A native of Dayton, she was a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 74 years. For more than 20 years, Sister Alberta taught English at Julienne High School in Dayton. She also served on the faculties of Notre Dame High School in Chicago; Mt. Notre Dame Academy in Reading, Ohio; Notre Dame High School in Hamilton, Ohio and Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati. When Sister Alberta left formal education in 1973, she joined the staff of the Marianist Mission Office in Dayton where she was special assistant to the director and a copy writer for 18 years. During this period, Sister also served as a catechist and Eucharistic minister at Holy Cross Lithuanian Church in Dayton and as a pastoral care volunteer at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.

Sister Mary Ann died June 10, 2007 at the Mount Notre Dame Health Center at the age of 69. A native of Hamilton, Ohio, she recently celebrated her 50^th year as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur. Sister’s first teaching ministry was at The Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati. Shortly after, she began her long association with Notre Dame High School in Chicago where she taught Social Studies and Religion. For the last ten years on the school’s staff, Sister Mary Ann was campus minister while she continued acting as teacher in and chair of the Religion department. Her last ministry was as a staff chaplain at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

Sister Alma Bingnear
She will be remembered forever as one who sought little for herself, but was always conscious of the needs of God’s people.

Sister Alma died April 21, 2007 at the Mount Notre Dame Health Center at the age of 86. A native of Chester, Pennsylvania, she was a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 68 years. She was a classroom teacher at parish schools in Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Her work in parish ministry took her to New York, New Jersey and eventually South Africa. For nearly 10 years she served as an associate chaplain to women imprisoned in Washington, D.C. and in New York. In retirement, she visited the sick and served as Eucharistic minister at The Lighthouse Pointe Health Care Center in Cincinnati.

Sister Mary Paula Peng 
Sister Mary Paula was the first Sister of Notre Dame de Namur postulant in China. During World War II, she had to flee her country and was detained in Hawaii before she could enter the U.S. She was a gifted wood carver, silversmith and screen printer, and a powerful influence on her students.

Sister Mary Paula died April 15, 2007 at the Mount Notre Dame Health Center at the age of 85. A native of China, she was a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 59 years.  She taught art and science at Mount Notre Dame Academy in Cincinnati for 26 years.  For nearly 20 years, she also had a ministry of community service on behalf of efforts for China.

Sister Marian Carpenter (formerly Sister Antoinette)
Sister used her great skills in helping the very young to learn how to read. It was a professional passion of hers. In later years, Sister described that strong desire and wrote "Reading was the key to all learning, even the word of God."

Sister Marian died February 17, 2007 at the Mount Notre Dame Health Center at the age of 85. A native of Cincinnati, she was a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 68 years.

A classroom teacher for 37 years, Sister Marian taught in Hamilton, Ohio at St. Veronica School and St. Joseph School where she also served as principal. In Dayton, she taught at Holy Family School and in Illinois, at St. Victor School in Calumet City and St. John the Apostle in Villa Park. At St. Agnes in Columbus, Sister taught the upper elementary grades. Sister Marian was also actively involved in the English as a Second Language program in the public schools in Reading and at St. Leo School in Cincinnati.

Sister Susan Keferl (formerly Sister Paul Marie)
There is a Chinese proverb: "One joy scatters a hundred grieves." The recent death of Sister Susan Keferl will surely test this ancient thought.

Sister Susan died on February 4, 2007, just months after celebrating her 50^th year as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, and days before her 69^th birthday. For the past two years, she was the provincial, or canonical leader of the Ohio Province, serving along with Sister Marilyn Kerber and Sister Teresita Weind on the province leadership team. "She had a wonderful way of dealing with the demands of leadership," Sister Marilyn said. "Her approach was always down-to-earth and based on common sense. Of the things I already miss about Susan, I miss her simplicity most of all."

In her earlier ministries, Sister Susan was a classroom teacher in Cincinnati at St. James of the Valley in Wyoming, and in Dayton at Holy Angels School and St. James School. Later she served as director of religious education at St. Michael Parish in Sharonville, Ohio and in parish ministry at Holy Family Church in Chicago. She was also director of vocations for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Ohio and associate director of the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program at the Athenaeum of Ohio. No matter the school, parish or organization, Sister Susan was known for the complete and utter joy she brought to everything around her.

Sister Teresita believes the source of Sister Susan’s joy is expressed in "Center of my Joy," a simple hymn she sang often. "Susan loved the lyrics: ‘All that’s good and perfect comes from You. You’re the heart of my contentment, hope for all I do. Jesus you are the center of my joy.’" Sister Teresita offered one other observation. "Susan’s joy over life and relationships was always present, but I think we noticed it even more during the last weeks of her life, when she had to reach a little deeper."

A gift as rare as Sister Susan is especially difficult to lose. Her joy was infectuous. It spilled over from every part of her life and ministry, directly into the hearts of anyone she met. Our grief can only be tempered by our gratitude for this blessing in our lives known as Sister Susan.