Religious Sisters in Diocese to Celebrate Jubilees

HERALD Staff Report
(From the issue of 5/9/02)

Nine religious sisters in the Arlington Diocese are celebrating jubilee anniversaries this year, marking 25, 50 or 60 years of service to the Church and the diocese. A Jubilee Mass for the sisters will be celebrated by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde on Wednesday, May 15 at Sacred Heart Chapel on the Marymount University campus in Arlington at 5:15 p.m. All are welcome to attend. For information, call Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Sister Irene Cody at 703/284-1692.

60th Anniversary

Sr. CHARLES BORROMEO HARVEY

Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Charles Borromeo Harvey professed her first vows at age 25 on Aug. 19, 1942. She made final profession on Aug. 15, feast of the Assumption, 1945.

Sister Harvey was born Nov. 18, 1916, to Charles Borromeo and Hilda S. Harvey, now deceased. Her two brothers and one sister are also deceased. Sister Harvey graduated from Transfiguration Elementary and West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Girls. Her bachelor’s degree in English and Spanish is from Immaculata College and her master’s in education is from Villanova University. She has also studied sacred Scripture and Canon law at the Dominican Institute of Theology.

Sister Harvey taught elementary education until 1962 and secondary education until 1996. Her teaching positions included schools in Pennsylvania; Miami, Fla.; Lima, Peru; and Arlington. She is currently assigned to the Religion Office at Bishop O’Connell High School.

50th Anniversary

Sr. CLARE IMMACULATE McCROSSON

One of ten children, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Clare Immaculate McCrosson has four living sisters. Her parents, Owen and Theresa McCrosson, are now deceased. Born Jan. 20, 1926, her primary education was at St. Michael School and she graduated from John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School, both in Philadelphia.

Sister Clare Immaculate received her bachelor’s degree in economics and business from Immaculata College in Immaculata, Pa. and her master’s in economics from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. At age 26, Sister Harvey made her profession of first vows on April 13, 1952 and her final profession on Aug. 15, 1955.

Currently the Secretary to the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, Sister Clare Immaculate has served three six-year terms as secretary general of the Congregation of Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She has also served assignments at St. Anthony in Philadelphia; Villa Maria Academy in Green Tree, Pa.; St. Maria Goretti High School in Philadelphia; Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, Pa.; Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia, Pa.; and Immaculata College in Immaculata, Pa.

Sister Clare Immaculate also served as recording secretary of the Institute of Religious Life in Chicago and is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Immaculata College.

Sr. MARIE SOPR

Daughters of Wisdom Sister Marie Sopr was born Feb. 20, 1933, the daughter of Lumir and Ottilie Sopr, in Glendale, N.Y. She attended elementary education at Public School 58 in Ozone Park, N.Y. and high school at Our Lady of Wisdom Academy in the same city.

Sister Marie Sopr was only 18 when she made her profession of first vows on Feb. 2, 1952. She made her final vows on Aug. 2, 1957. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education at Seat of Wisdom College in Litchfield, Conn. and master’s degrees in elementary education and liturgical music from Catholic University. She holds a Virginia Post-Graduate Professional Certificate with endorsements in elementary and high school music and elementary English.

Sister Marie Sopr taught at St. Mary, Gate of Heaven School in Ozone Park from 1952-1957; at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School in Waterbury, Conn. from 1957-1964; and at Daughters of Wisdom Juniorate in Litchfield from 1964-1965.

Since 1970, Sister Marie Sopr has been assigned to St. Bernadette Parish in Springfield. She has been parish organist throughout the whole time. She taught Jr. high school religion, English and music from 1970-1980. From 1979-1988 she ran the girls’ junior choir and from 1980-1995 she served as principal of the school. Sister Maria Sopr was also the coordinator of parish organists (1976-1985). She is currently the pastoral minister and parish organist at St. Bernadette.

Sr. LOUISE DUFOUR

Daughters of Wisdom Sister Louise Dufour made her first profession of vows at age 20 on Feb. 2, 1952; and her final profession of vows on Aug. 2, 1957. One of seven children of Victor and Delia Dufour, she was born Jan. 23, 1932 in Madawaska, Maine.

Sister Louise attended Madawaska High School and graduated from Annhurst College in Putnam, Conn., with a bachelor’s degree in English. She received a master’s in science education from St. Joseph College in Hartford and a master’s in pastoral ministry from Boston College.

Currently the librarian at St. Bernadette School in Springfield, Sister Louise has held numerous teaching assignments since 1952. Most recently, she taught religion at St. Dominic High School in Lewiston, Maine (1991-1995); religion at St. Mary’s High School in New Haven, Conn. (1990-1991); was pastoral associate of St. Francis Assisi Parish in Belfast, Maine (1984-1989); taught at Holy Cross High School in Waterbury, Conn. (1974-1982); and taught at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School (1968-1973).

Sister Louise has three living sisters, one in Amarillo, Texas and two in Yarmouth, Maine.

Sr. EDNA (PERPETUA) O’CONNOR

Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Sister Edna (Perpetua) O’Connor was born in County Mayo, Ireland and entered the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary on June 3, 1950 in Tarrytown and made her first profession there on Feb. 13, 1952.

Sister Edna taught at St. Thomas Aquinas School in the Bronx from 1952-1956, at the Academy of the Sacred Heart of Mary in Sag Harbor, N.Y. (1956-1957), and at Marymount Junior School in Arlington (1957-1959).

Sister Edna was Assistant to the Directress of Novices at St. Joseph’s Novitiate in Tarrytown (1959-1965). She then returned to teaching, first at Mother Butler Memorial High School in the Bronx (1966-1971), and then at Marymount International School in Kingston, England (1971-1978).

A founding member of her order’s ministry in Appalachia, she was a community outreach worker and coordinator of a head start program in Speedwell, Va (1978-1985) and a teacher and community development worker in Ahoskie, N.C. (1985-1991).

She served as a Provincial Councilor for the Eastern American Province from 1991-1997. Sister Edna volunteered for missionary work in Africa and is currently in Choma, Zambia.

Sr. ANNE (WALTER) WALSH

Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Sister Anne (Walter) Walsh was born in County Clare, Ireland and entered the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary on Sept. 5, 1950 in Tarrytown, where she made her first profession on March 26, 1952.

Sister Anne taught in Gerard School in New York City (1957-1960); St. John School in McLean, where she was also principal (1960-1966); St. bridget School in Richmond (1966-1967); Sacred heart of Mary High School in Rolling Meadows, Ill. (1967-1968); and Marymount School in Richmond (1968-1974).

Sister Anne was campus minister and served several colleges in the Richmond area 1974-1975. She worked for the Offices of Religious Education of the Dioces of Lansing, Mich. (1975-1976) and the Diocese of Raleigh, N.C. (1978-1985). In 1986 she became the Director of Alumnae Activities for Marymount Manhattan College in New York City and in 1988 she was named Director of Initial Formation for the Eastern American Province of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. Since 1989, she has been on the staff of Fordham University at the Rosehill Campus as campus minister and academic advisor.

Sr. MARY CLARE DWYER

Order of the Poor Clares Sister Mary Clare Dwyer was born April 10, 1930 in Washington, Ind. to James D. Dwyer and Catherine A. (Daily) Dwyer. She entered the Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Roswell, N.M. in 1950 and made her profession of first vows there on Sept. 23, 1952. She made her final vows on Aug. 27, 1955 and remained there until 1977, when she became a founding member of the community of Mary, Mother of the Church Monastery in Alexandria.

No photo of Sister Mary Clare was available.

25th Anniversary

Sr. PATRICIA HELENE EARL

Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Patricia Helene Earl was born March 18, 1949 in Arlington, the only daughter of the late Warren and Helen McLaughlin Earl. She attended primary school at Marymount Junior School from 1954-1962 and secondary school at Stone Ridge Country Day School of the Sacred Heart.

Sister Patricia received her bachelor’s degree in English with a philosophy/theology minor from Dunbarton College of the Holy Cross in Washington, graduating cum laude. She earned her master’s degree in English from Villanova University in Villanova, Pa. in 1980. She is presently a Ph.D. candidate at George Mason University in Fairfax.

Sister Patricia will celebrate her 25th anniversary as a professed sister on June 25. She made her first profession on that date in 1977 and her final profession on August 15, 1988.

Sister Patricia is currently the assistant superintendent of schools for secondary education and professional educational personnel for the diocese.

Previously, Sister Patricia taught at Sts. Simon and Jude School in West Chester, Pa. (1986-1990); at St. Mary’s Academy in Alexandria (1985-1986); at Marymount Junior School in Arlington (1982-1983); at St. Michael School in Annandale (1981-1982); at St. Joseph School in Reading, Pa. (1977-1980); and at St. Thomas More School in Arlington (1972-1974). She was principal of Marymount Junior School from 1983-1985 and director of religious education at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Arlington from 1982-1985.

Sister Earl is a member of the National Catholic Education Association; a member of the Education Advisory boards of Marymount University and University of Virginia; and a member of the school boards of Bishop Ireton, Bishop O’Connell and Paul VI high schools and Notre Dame Academy. She is also on the Diocese of Arlington Capital Campaign Committee.

Sr. CHRISTINE VIRGINIA O’DONNELL

Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Christine Virginia O’Donnell will celebrate 25 years as a professed religious on June 25.

Sister O’Donnell was born in Timonium, Md., in 1951, the youngest of four children of Beatrice Kirtley O’Donnell and the late Joseph Dean O’Donnell. She attended primary school at St. Peter the Apostle School in River Edge, N.J. and secondary school at Pallotti High School in Laurel, Md. She received her bachelor’s degree in English education from La Salle University and her master’s from Villanova University.

Sister O’Donnell made her first profession on June 25, 1977 and her final profession on the feast of the Assumption August 15, 1982, both in Immaculata, Pa.

She taught seventh- and eighth-grade English at St. Michael School in Annandale from 1979-1980. For over 15 years, Sister O’Donnell taught English outside the United States. From 1984-1989 she taught in Lima, Peru, and from 1990-1999 she taught in Santiago, Chile.

Now back in the country, Sister O’Donnell teaches sophomore English at Bishop Dennis J. O’Connell High School in Arlington. She says that it is "a great joy" to be back in the country.

"Being an I.H.M. sister is what I was created to do. It has been a great grace in my life," said Sister O’Donnell.

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