May 28, 2010
People We Care About
Following is a feature in the Message, designed to help draw together the People of God in southwestern Indiana. Readers are invited to submit information about people who may benefit by some extra prayers and attention.
• A card shower is underway for Father Robert Deig who will be celebrating his sixtieth jubilee of ordination on June 3.
Cards and letters may be sent to him at Little Sisters of the Poor; 1236 Lincoln Ave., Evansville IN 47714.
• Sister Mary Henry Schiff, formerly Gertrude Madeline, died at St. Paul Hermitage on May 18, 2010. She was 94 years old.
Sister Mary Henry, born in 1915, was one of the seven daughters of Fred and Theresa Schiff of Johnston City, Ill.
She entered Monastery Immaculate Conception, Ferdi-nand, in 1930 and made her Perpetual Monastic Profession in 1937. She was a founding member of Our Lady of Grace Monastery.
Sister Mary Henry received a bachelor’s degree in education from St. Benedict Coll-ege, Ferdinand, and a master’s in education from St. Francis College, Fort Wayne, Ind.
She began her teaching career in 1934 and taught at various Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Evansville and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
In 1981, after 47 years in the classroom, she be-came the receptionist and secretary at St. Anthony Rectory, Clarksville, Ind., and then at St. Paul Her-mitage from 1984 to 1993. She retired to Our Lady of Grace in 1994 and also served as a receptionist for the monastery.
Her parents and four sisters preceded her in death.
Her sisters, Madeline Fletchall of Poseyville, Ind.; Pauline Nelson of Muskegon, Mich., several nieces and nephews and her religious community survive her.
Contributions in memory of Sister Mary Henry may be made to Sister’s Retirement Fund, c/o Our Lady of Grace Monastery, 1402 Southern Avenue, Beech Grove, Indiana 46107.
• Providence Sister Maureen Loonam died May 21 in Mother Theodore Hall, St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She was born in Freeport, Minn., on June 1, 1916, to Bernard and Anne Schmutte Loonam and was baptized Genevieve Marie.
Sister Maureen entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence on Feb. 10, 1934, and professed final vows Aug. 15, 1941. She earned a bachelorss degree from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and a masters degree from Purdue University.
In her 76 years as a Sister of Providence, Sister Maureen ministered 40 years in elementary schools in Indiana and Illinois, including Sacred Heart School in Evansville, from 1936 to 1941, and St. Joseph School, Jasper, from 1959 to 1961.
In 1977, she became director of Summer Sessions and Continuing Education at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. It was she who began the first summer camps for children at the Woods which flourished until recent years. In 1986, she joined the staff of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College Library and three years later, took on coordinating the Resource Center at the Motherhouse, a service she continued for the next 18 years. Beginning in 2007, she dedicated herself totally to the ministry of prayer.
Sister Maureen is survived by nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by two brothers, Bernard and Robert Loonam and a sister Esther Roesch.
• Franciscan Sister Jean Wolf died April 30.
She was the second child of Anton and Mary Margaret Wolf.
She entered the Oldenburg Franciscan community in her early twenties, and spend 32 years as a teacher and principal. Her assignments included St. Wendel School, St. Wendel, and St. Agnes School, Evansville.
She also worked in parish ministry before working in pastoral care at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Evansville.
During those years, she volunteered at a local shelter and at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. In her later years, she traveled to Jamaica, continuing her work with those in poverty.
When asked to share her wisdom, she wrote, “Faith in God is a precious gift; also life and time are gifts. Use them well by praising God and bringing God’s love to others by word and action.”
• Providence Sister Rita Lechner died May 24 at St. Mary-of-the-Woods.
She was born in Jasper on January 18, 1937, to Silas and Theresia (Hopf) Lechner.
She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence on January 5, 1955, and received the name Sister Veronica. She professed final vows August 15, 1962.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degrees from Indiana University. Of her 55 years as a Sister of Providence, she ministered in education for 22 years in schools in Indiana and Illinois. For six of those years, she served as principal.
She then moved into parish work, working as a pastoral associate.
Survivors include three sisters, Elizabeth Lechner Bormann of Dennison, Ill., Eileen Lauka of Temecula, Calif., and Providence Sister Mary Ann Lechner of Indianapolis.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held May 29 at St. Mary-of-the-Woods.
Please send information for PEOPLE WE CARE ABOUT to Mary Ann Hughes, The Message, P.O. Box 4169, Evansville, IN 47724. The e-mail address is mhughes@evansville-diocese.org.