Sister Mary Agnes (Mullen), CSC
(June 3, 1922 - February 12, 2010)
Please, join in prayer of thanksgiving for this Sister of the Holy Cross who died on February 12, 2010 in Saint Mary's Convent.
Becoming a nurse was a dream come true for Sister Mary Agnes. As a young girl she had wanted to pursue nursing because two of her aunts had followed that illustrious profession and she wanted to emulate them. How fortunate that she was able to live out that dream happily each day as her whole active community life was spent in hospital ministry. She had talents beyond measure; she was a registered nurse, a degreed medical records technician and a pastoral care minister, and all of these various positions were served in the familiar and loved atmosphere of healthcare facilities.
No matter what role she filled in the hospital setting, she made sure she was well prepared academically for every position. She was the ultimate professional, always attentive and responsive to the myriad responsibilities at hand. Her seriousness and dedication to duty were unparalleled.
Organization and attention to detail were hallmarks of everything Sister Mary Agnes undertook. A concrete example was her approach to the responsibility of coordinating the boutique at Saint Catherine’s in Ventura, California. “There was a place for everything and everything was in its place.” Everyone agreed that she had a knack for this role and it fit her talents perfectly. Because she saw a need to have a variety of gifts for sale she taught herself to do fancy embroidery and counted cross-stitch. Her efforts were so successful that she took first prize in the county fair for the counted cross-stitch sample she submitted.
Though quite reserved in her outward demeanor, she had a very dry sense of humor that could be missed in a casual encounter. A clue to that humor for her friends was a slight tilt of her head and a twinkle in her eye as she waited for the “punch line” to register.
A more loyal friend could not be found, and her friendship was treasured by all who received this generous gift.
Plagued with difficult health issues much of her life, Sister Mary Agnes did not allow these to limit her fulfillment of the responsibilities entrusted to her care. Her years serving in pastoral ministry were special to her because she felt that in pastoral ministry “one could reach people at a depth not possible in other ministries.” Sister Mary Agnes’ own depth of spirituality gave her a well from which she could draw in serving others’ spiritual needs. Her years of service are now complete. May she rest in peace.