“MY EDUCATION AT SAINT MARY’S HAS EMPOWERED ME TO SPEAK MY MIND.”
Sister Catherine de Ricci, CSC
( - July 25, 2009)
Please, join in prayer of thanksgiving for this Sister of the Holy Cross who died on July 25, 2009 in Saint Mary's Convent.
A missionary spirit was the driving force for most of Sister Catherine's life. She served valiantly for thirty years in Brazil and for five years in Africa. This quiet unassuming religious was a dynamo of energy and dedication whose organizational skills became legendary.
During her short stay of five years in Uganda she managed to not only to improve the status of Maria Goretti School but also to reach out to the local parish priests to help them become more efficient. The Holy Cross men affectionately called her the "Field Marshall." Bishop Vincent McCauley, CSC, Bishop Emeritus of Fort Portal, Uganda, deceased, appreciated the work of the sisters but had special praise for Sister: "The Holy Cross Sisters in Fort Portal are doing magnificent work. Sister Catherine de Ricci is a tremendous missionary. She and the other sisters have brought up the Maria Goretti School to a high standard in a very short time. We are all pleased and delighted with the work they are doing..."
Her special gift was the understanding and loving support of developmentally and physically challenged children. She established an alternative school for these Brazilian children that became a well-recognized institution for the education and formation of children with many different disabilities, especially deafness. Her heart went out to these children and she loved each one with an obvious tenderness. No project was too difficult for her and she tirelessly worked for the improvement of services to the less privileged.
On returning to Saint Mary's she continued her missionary spirit with a deep commitment to daily prayer for those still working in far off missionary endeavors. Sister Catherine de Ricci was always grateful for any service or visit she received. Her "thank you" to each one was as automatic as her delightful smile. She can now rest on the many laurels she has earned.
Funeral arrangements for Sister are as follows: Reception of the body and wake on Monday, July 27, 2009 at 4:00 p.m., with the Mass of Resurrection on Tuesday, July 28, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. All of these ceremonies will take place in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto.
May Sister Catherine de Ricci rest in peace.