Sister Mary Rose Cunningham, CSC
Word has been received of the death of Sister Mary Rose (Cunningham) who died at 6:41 p.m. on Friday, December 3, 2010, in Saint Mary's Convent, Notre Dame, Indiana.
Sister Mary Rose was a beautiful dignified religious woman. She had a loving commitment to her community and to her family. This dedication was part of the very fiber of her existence.
The Church was important to her and, above all, she deeply respected those called to the priesthood. She had a great devotion to Cardinal Timothy Manning, Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles. Two of the cardinal’s books were part of her very select and sparse personal library. Her wonderful friendship and working relationship with her “boss,” Msgr. Francis J. Weber, archivist for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was a great joy to her.
For 18 years Sister Mary Rose zealously served as associate archivist for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Working among the mountains of old documents and books was a joy to her as an historian and efficient organizer. Since her sister, Sister Miriam Ann, previously held that position, Sister Mary Rose was familiar with its intricacies and responsibilities. When Sister Miriam Ann died in January 1987 and Sister Mary Rose was officially appointed to replace her the very next month. Obviously, it was an easy transition since both of them were gifted with similar skills. Their mother often commented that when her girls were together and wrote to her, they frequently collaborated on their letters and she could not tell which part of the correspondence each had written.
In her beginning years of ministry Sister Mary Rose taught junior high students but soon moved to the high school level. She taught in eight different high schools in the West before settling into her very successful role as vice-principal of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she served for 11 years. Here she became part of a wonderful collaborative administrative team. The students and faculty related well to her and she warmly extended friendship to all. Many sought her wise advice and counsel. The expertise she calmly exercised in handling problems soothed many difficult situations.
Describing Sister Mary Rose without including her marvelous Irish sense of humor would give an incomplete picture. Her appreciation of a good joke made sharing them with her a joy to the “teller.” In recent years, when her hearing faded, she would sometimes not hear the “punch line” but would smile broadly with perhaps a little giggle. She always delighted much more in the person than the message. On Friday she "heard" the voice God calling her and responded with the same generous heart that typified her entire religious life. May she rest in peace.