Sister Leo Anthony, CSC
( - December 1, 2008)
Please, join in prayer of thanksgiving for this Sister of the Holy Cross who died on December 1, 2008.
Sister Leo Anthony was a “ spiritual giant” in the Congregation but a quiet and unobtrusive one. During the many years of administration in schools as principal, in local communities as superior, or at Saint Mary’s as director of campus management , she demonstrated her outstanding skills of organization, attention to detail and a compassion that endeared her to many. She particularly liked working with young people , and her 40 years as a high school teacher/principal gave her great joy and kept her challenged as she interacted with the changing generations of modern youth.
Her deep spirituality was a gift she willingly shared with her sisters and with many lay people who came to her for directed retreats and spiritual direction. She felt this was a special grace that she needed to share with those who sought her spiritual help and guidance.
She had a great love for the community and was what we all called “a community woman,” always putting the needs of the community and its members before her own. Her many loyal friends both in and out of the Congregation attest to the bonds of friendship that she forged and the respect she deserved.
Sister Leo Anthony had little about her that projected pride but she was profoundly proud of her sister and namesake, Sister Eva Marie ( deceased ) , and her brother, Father Francis X. Maynard, OFM. She considered it a great privilege to be with her brother at the Mission Santa Barbara in California, where he offered a Mass for their sister, Sister Eva Marie, on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel the week before his own death.
During the last months of her life Sister Leo Anthony continually expressed her deep desire to “go home to God,” and she has now joyously joined her God , Sister Eva Marie and Father Francis . May she rest in peace.
Funeral arrangements for Sister Leo Anthony are as follows: Reception of the body at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 4, 2008, with the Mass of Resurrection and eulogy at 10:30 a.m. the same day. These ceremonies will take place in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto.