Sister Kathryn Edward (McDermott), CSC
( - September 19, 2009)
Please, join in prayer of thanksgiving for this Sister of the Holy Cross who died on September 19, 2009 in Saint Mary's Convent.
Sister Kathryn Edward spent nearly 30 years ministering as a physical therapy assistant to our sisters at Saint Mary’s Convent. Since her retirement in 2004 she continued to meet the personal needs of the sisters here on campus.
Sister was known for her generosity and she was always willing to drive sisters almost anywhere whether it be to shop or a trip for a home visit with their families. She often took the local sisters, who rarely got out, to lunch or on sightseeing trips, even as far as Lake Michigan. Sister Michael Mary (Nolan), a high school chum, wrote from Brazil, "During her time at Saint Mary's helping with therapy or being a driver or whatever she did, she always had time for the missionaries. Many of us were the recipients of her willingness to take us places and show us new things." This “taxi service” for the missionaries reflected her own love of the foreign missions. Sister Kathryn Edward loved to travel and the opportunity to visit the missions in Mexico, Brazil and Bangladesh, even for a very short time, was a joy and delight. When she was preparing to go to Bangladesh she used the Pictorial Directory to cut out pictures of the sisters in each convent so that when she met them she could call them by name. Connecting with each sister was important to her and she kept track of her new friends.
Besides having a welcoming and generous spirit, she was noted for her great love of Holy Cross and was well-versed in the history of the congregation. Being able to be present at Father Moreau’s beatification was one of the highlights of her life. She was a devoted member of the Holy Cross History Association and as long as she was able, she never missed their annual conference. Through this connection, she kept up with many members of the other Holy Cross congregations whom she graciously welcomed whenever they visited Saint Mary's. Many visitors declared, "She knew Notre Dame Campus better than most who gave the official tours there."
Sister Kathryn had a great loved of her family and was intensely proud of her Irish heritage. Her sister, Isabelle, affectionately called "Izzy," arrived on Tuesday and her brother, John, came on Thursday to be at sister's bedside until she took her final trip, this time to heaven.
She will be missed by many.
Funeral arrangements for sister are as follows: Reception of the body, wake and memento on Monday, September 21, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. with the Mass of Resurrection on Tuesday, September 22, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. All of these ceremonies will take place in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto. May Sister Kathryn Edward rest in peace.