PHILADELPHIA – Sister Francis Louise Sheridan of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, M.S.B.T., the first non-clergy director of the Diocese of Charlotte's Catholic Charities agency, passed away Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, aged 85.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Feb. 18, 2016, at Blessed Trinity Motherhouse Chapel in Philadelphia, followed by burial in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
Born Agnes Theresa Sheridan on June 20, 1930, in Brooklyn, N.Y., she was the youngest of four children of Mary and William Sheridan. She was baptized at St. Agnes Church in Brooklyn on July 15, 1930.
Sister Francis Louise, as she was known, entered the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity on Sept. 24, 1949, made her first profession of vows on March 25, 1951, and her final profession of vows on March 25, 1954. She was familiar with the community from early on because her older sister Mary had also entered the order. Even before she formally entered religious life, Sister Francis Louise described that she “never felt happier” than when she was with the sisters, “not even on my birthday or when I get a new dress.”
Sister Francis Louise graduated from Seton Hall University in 1966 with a degree in sociology and received a master’s degree in social work from The Catholic University of America in 1969. She was continually updating in her field of social work as well as spirituality, and she was a deeply prayerful person. Once when asked what she could not live without, she answered, “Prayer and quiet.” She once noted it was the Catholic Charismatic Movement that was the “thread that helped her make the connection between her activities and the spiritual dimension.” In 1971 she wrote, “(I am) drawn towards a desire for a more intense union with God and one another that will not just individualize us more but would bring corporate holiness and strength.”
Her missionary service began in 1951. From 1951 to 1969 she ministered at Catholic Social Services in the Diocese of Trenton, N.J., first in the city of Trenton, then in Fords, N.J., and returned to Trenton in 1960. In 1969, she was missioned to Catholic Social Services in Harrisburg, Pa.
In the Charlotte diocese, Sister Francis Louise was the founding director of the Charlotte diocese's Refugee Resettlement Office and the first non-clergy director of Catholic Social Services (now called Catholic Charities).
The Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity came to Charlotte in 1950 at the invitation of North Carolina Bishop Vincent Waters to staff a new branch office for what was then called the Bureau of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh.
A community of professionally trained social workers, the Trinitarian sisters served as caseworkers and supervisors for the fledgling Charlotte branch office, particularly caring for unwed mothers, refugees and the elderly. The sisters provided pregnancy support, maternity care, foster care and adoption services to families throughout the state.
Sister Francis Louise came to Charlotte from the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pa., in 1975, along with Sisters Gail Lambert and Sister Barbara DeMoranville, to introduce a Team Ministry model of social services under the leadership of the agency's then director Father Thomas Clements. She later took over the top position, serving as the first non-clergy director of Catholic Charities. She was known for her skill in launching “pilot” programs to address unmet needs and then developing funding to sustain them successfully long-term.
Sister Francis Louise also served as chairperson of the diocesan Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
An article in the Catholic News & Herald once noted of Sister Francis Louise: “Typically, she sees a need and fills it, finding competent people to manage the project. She delegates, she is not controlling but in control. She guides. She doesn’t dictate.”
When more than a dozen counties in western North Carolina experienced severe flooding in 1977, she directed the diocese's disaster response efforts, raising money, recruiting volunteers and working with other area churches in what was a broad ecumenical relief effort.
In 1977 Sister Francis Louise was named the founding director of the diocese's Refugee Resettlement Program, established in coordination with the U.S. bishops to resettle refugees fleeing Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War.
In 1980 under her leadership, according to historical accounts, the diocese was resettling an average of one refugee per day in the Charlotte area. Over the eight years Sister Francis Louise served as director, the Refugee Resettlement Office resettled more than 2,000 refugees. Most were Vietnamese, Laotian, Hmong and Cambodian refugees from Southeast Asia, but there were also some from Poland, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Cuba, Haiti, Hungary and the former Czechoslovakia.
The refugee resettlement program in Charlotte under her direction became known as one of the most successful in the United States.
In recognition for her work, the mayor of Charlotte proclaimed June 20, 1983, as Sister Francis Louise Sheridan Day. She received many awards and honors for her work in resettlement, from the governor of North Carolina, the National Council of Christians and Jews in Charlotte, the Refugee Resettlement Office of Region IV of the U.S. Government and the National Office of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. She also received a humanitarian award from the Migrant and Refugee Services of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Sister Francis Louise also helped Cambodian refugees, many of whom were Buddhist, to establish a temple for their worship in Charlotte. The temple was named in her honor by Buddhist monk Maha Ghosananda, a renowned Cambodian Buddhist leader and peace activist, upon his visit to Charlotte. Known as “Cambodia’s Ghandi,” Maha invited Sister Francis Louise to visit a refugee camp in Thailand with him; she later called it one of the most memorable trips of her life.
In 1993, Sister Francis Louise was sent to Mobile, Ala., to serve as director of Catholic Social Services for the Archdiocese of Mobile and later as a social worker at the Allen Memorial Nursing Home, until 2015 when she returned to the Trinitarian Sisters' motherhouse in Philadelphia.
Over the course of her ministry, she served on various committees in her community and was in regional and local leadership as well as a consultant to the Holy Name of Jesus Trust.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity at 3501 Solly Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19136.
F. Fluehr and Sons Inc. was in charge of the arrangements.
– Catholic News Herald. Photo courtesy of Diocese of Charlotte Archives (M.C. Wessling, photographer)
Sister Jeanne Marie KienastBELMONT – Sister Jeanne Marie Kienast, a Sister of Mercy and a distinguished citizen, died on Wednesday, Dec. 23, at CMC Pineville-Mercy Hospital after a very brief illness.
Sister was born in Port Au Prince, Haiti, on April 2, 1927 to Charles and Sarah McGurk Kienast and was given the name Eileen Virginia. She received her elementary education in Bradenton, Florida and completed her high school at the former Sacred Heart Academy in Belmont, NC.
Wake and visitation will be held 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29 at Sacred Heart Convent, Belmont, NC.
AMass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30 a.m. Dec. 30 at Sacred Heart Convent. Interment will follow at Belmont Abbey Cemetery.
As a student at Sacred Heart she was inspired by the compassion and understanding of the Sisters and their life style touched her deeply. As a result she was attracted to this way of life and upon graduation she became a Sister of Mercy and chose to be called Sister Jeanne Marie.
Early in her religious life she became interested in education and earned a Bachelor's Degree in English from Belmont Abbey College and a Master's Degree in Education Administration from UNC, Chapel Hill.
Sister Jeanne Marie was a pioneer in Catholic education in North Carolina and her ministries were varied but always reflective of her ability to serve as teacher, administrator and innovator.
Throughout her 70 years of ministry she fulfilled many roles. She served as an elementary school teacher and administrator in Catholic schools throughout North Carolina, Theology professor at Sacred Heart College, Director of Formation for young Sisters, Dean of Student Affairs at Sacred Heart College and Charlotte Diocesan Director of Religious Education. In most of these ministries she revised and implemented programs to educate persons to meet their fullest potential.
When the Sisters were asked to minister in post-war Guam Sister Jeanne Marie volunteered to go and she worked with the school system there for three years helping to upgrade the schools that had been damaged and retarded as a result of the Japanese occupation of the island. Sister Jeanne Marie served as the first principal of St. Gabriel School in Charlotte and under her supervision the school grew and flourished to become the fine institution it is today.
While functioning in these various ministries Sister Jeanne Marie continued to be involved in larger ways by presenting spiritual workshops and retreats throughout the state. When she herself was not planning workshops she graciously responded to requests from groups to have her speak or be a part of their program.
The Sisters of Mercy recognized Sister's leadership ability and appointed her to a variety of administrative positions in the religious community. Along with her work with the Sisters of Mercy she was involved in the Cursillo Movement for many years. Sister was instrumental in the early formation of active Mercy Association and she served as Co-Director of this group which has grown decidedly under her leadership.
After so many years of involvement in education and in keeping with her pioneer spirit, she responded to the pastor's invitation to serve as the first Pastoral Associate at the new St Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte. In this role Sister Jeanne Marie was responsible for many areas of ministry. She became the Coordinator of Outreach Ministries to Those with Special Needs; a vocal and active advocate for senior citizen groups, particularly for those working to lower the cost of medicines for those on fixed incomes.
In an effort to address homelessness she co-partnered with the Salvation Army and the Charlotte Housing Authority to establish Supportive Housing Initiative Partnership a group working to provide independent living for homeless families. Her days were busy providing pastoral care training for volunteers, visits to the sick and home-bound, and just being a compassionate presence for those who needed assistance and a listening ear.
Sister Served as a member of the National Catholic Educational Association and as Secretary of the National Diocesan Religious Education Directors. In 2015, based on her years of work providing housing for the homeless she was nominated as one of Charlotte's most influential women.
Sister Jeanne Marie was a consummate story teller and keeper of the early history of the Sisters of Mercy in the South. At the time of her death she was in the process of writing human interest stories about the Sisters of Mercy and their history for future generations. She was noted for her quick- wittedness and her inveterate use of puns.
Sister Jeanne Marie left her footprints everywhere she served and is remembered as a devoted Sister of Mercy, an impeccable teacher and administrator and a spreader of joy.
Sister Jeanne Marie is survived by the Sisters of Mercy, her dear friend Sister Therese Galligan, brother Charles Kienast of Kinston, NC and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be directed to Sisters of Mercy, 101 Mercy Drive, Belmont, NC 28012.
Arrangements entrusted with McLean Funeral Directors, Belmont.