Sister Virginia McLaughlin, CSC
(May 5, 1929 - October 31, 2009)
Please, join in prayer of thanksgiving for this Sister of the Holy Cross who died on October 31, 2009 in Saint Mary's Convent.
Sister Virginia was a gentile lady with a welcoming smile and gracious demeanor. When meeting her for the first time one got the immediate impression of a lovely, calm, gentle religious woman who reached out to others in a warm and friendly manner.
Though she was a very private person, there was one aspect of her life that she proudly proclaimed and that was her Irish heritage. The fact that her father, John McLaughlin, married another McLaughlin, her mother, Margaret McLaughlin, solidified the Irish linage established in County Donegal, Ireland. One of the high lights of sister’s life was the opportunity she had to return to her roots when she visited Ireland and was able to meet other McLaughlin family members.
Sister’s quiet temperament suited her beautifully for her twenty-five years of chaplaincy and pastoral care ministry at Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring, Maryland. Her background in science as a teacher and professor as well as her strong base in theology was the perfect preparation for this ministry. Working in a hospital environment that requires a soft loving approach along with a deep understanding of the medical and emotional problems faced by the patients and their families was exactly the gifts that Sister Virginia brought to her role at the hospital.
The richness of her theology background enhanced her own spirituality and gave depth to her prayer life. Because of her Irish heritage she loved the Celtic spirituality that is based on the premise that “Life is a single unending prayer,” and she lived this out in her daily life and ministry. May Sister Virginia now rest in peace having lived her life in agreement with God.
Funeral arrangements for Sister Virginia are as follows: Reception of the body on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 9:30 a.m., with the Mass of Resurrection and memento at 10:30 a.m. the same day. These ceremonies will take place in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto.