Mary Claver Paustenbach, CDP

We commend to your charity the soul of our beloved
Sister Mary Claver Paustenbach 
who departed this life on Saturday, March 27, 2010
in the seventy-second year of her religious life
Age: 88 years, 7 months, 1 day
Funeral: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 4 p.m. 

"So shall our song of triumph ever be, Praise to the Crucified for victory."

As preparations were being made to remember and celebrate the most sacred events of our faith, Sister Mary Claver quietly left us to be with Jesus, whom she had followed throughout her life. She had earnestly lived and proclaimed the love of Christ, sung about by her Sisters at the Palm Sunday morning liturgy and again at evening prayer:

"Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim, till all the world adore his sacred name." 

Born in Tarentum, Pa., July 26, 1921, Clara Paustenbach was baptized a few weeks later at Sacred Heart Parish, the parish to which she, with her parents, brothers and sisters, belonged throughout her growing years. Drawn to the Sisters of Divine Providence at a young age, observing, experiencing and learning from them throughout her formative years, Clara became an aspirant, attended Providence High with other devout young women, and completed high school after entering the community. Named Sister Mary Claver, she joined a host of others in consecrating her life to Christ, the One sent by God to save us all. 

"Led on their way by this triumphant sign, the hosts of God in conquering ranks combine." 

Though Sister Mary Claver wanted to be a nurse, she was needed for and trained in education. First as a teacher, then serving as principal and school supervisor, her life as an educator in Detroit and Pennsylvania spanned more than forty years. Sister Mary Claver dedicated herself to meeting others’ needs, in the schools, in the community and wherever she was called to serve.

Her Sisters speak of her as calm, unassuming, and kind, with a great concern for others. Sister Mary Claver loved her community, enjoyed a good laugh and the relaxation of jigsaw puzzles. Generous with her time, she often went out of her way to accommodate and provide for others. When the Sisters were able to take a vacation away from the convent, Sister Mary Claver sought out those who may not have had other opportunities and arranged for them to share her vacation. 

For more than fifteen years, after leaving the educational ministry, Sister Mary Claver was a driver and a friend to the sisters, offering her support, smile, and quiet presence, giving her time for the Sisters’ appointments, shopping, visiting or other needs. Sister Mary Claver generously served her sisters, while also continuing to age. In the midst of increasing pain and limited mobility, she peacefully adjusted to these changes, as she awaited a sharing in the fulfillment of Christ’s victory over death.

"So shall our song of triumph ever be, Praise to the Crucified for victory."

Feast Day: September 9

Written by Sister Mary Francis Fletcher

If you would like to make a gift to the Sisters of Divine Providence in memory of Sister Mary Claver, visit our donation page.

Barbara Ann Bongartz, CDP

We commend to your charity the soul of our beloved
Sister Barbara Ann Bongartz
who departed this life on Holy Thursday, April 1, 2010
in the fifty-sixth year of her religious life
Age: 73 years, 11 months, 29 days
Funeral: Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.

"Guide me, O shepherd of my heart, Lead me homeward through the dark into everlasting day."

These words, written by Francis Patrick O’Brien in his song “Shepherd of my Heart,” speak of Sister Barbara Ann’s whole life of faith, love and generous service. Born into a large family, one of the youngest of eleven children, Agnes Barbara Ann wrote that her parents were “the BEST in the world” and that her home and front porch were gathering places for friends and family.

In 1998, Sister Barbara Ann wrote, “Being the seventh straight girl meant I was to be the ‘Lucky One’… I know in many special ways and every day of my life, God has blessed me in ways more than being lucky.” She wrote that the seed of her vocation was planted at home, and grew and developed through the Sisters at Divine Providence Academy who were an inspiration to her. Her aunt, Sister Leonore, and her sister, Elizabeth Ann, already members of the Sisters of Divine Providence, supported her as she responded to her call to consecrate her life to God.

Joining a large class of young women, Sister Barbara Ann simply wanted to “serve God.” In her years of preparation for vows, she was earnest and conscientious as she grew in self-knowledge, in her love of community, in her faith relationship with God, and in her desire to serve others. Prepared in education, Sister Barbara Ann taught for twenty years in the Pittsburgh, Greensburg, and Detroit dioceses, and then for another thirty years, she served as principal at schools in Ford City, Greentree, and Brentwood, Pa. Fifty years of love for the children and their families, the faculties and other staff members in each school; years in which her own commitment, as well as events and relationships, intensified Sister Barbara Ann’s experience of God’s love. 

As she lived her life in community, Sister Barbara Ann’s relationships with her Sisters grew stronger. For many years, she enjoyed participating in the special Chrism mass on Holy Thursday at the cathedral. As Sister Barbara Anne’s ministry ended, she wrote, “I hope I have fulfilled my goal … to always make you feel most welcome … through sharing God’s work and love.” 

In her final years, Sister Barbara Ann was afflicted with Parkinson’s disease. She gradually moved from the light of faith understandings, emotional attachments, and ministry responsibilities to the darkness of doubt, confusion, and the loss of clear memories. During these years, Sister Barbara Ann has been cared for with sensitivity and compassion, as she herself had served others. As Sister Barbara Ann enters into “everlasting day,” may she know how lovingly her God has held her hand and heart. "Show me the way of truth and light; keep me always in your sight; May my life never part from the shepherd of my heart."

Feast Day: December 4

Written by Sister Mary Francis Fletcher

If you would like to make a gift to the Sisters of Divine Providence in memory of Sister Barbara Ann, visit our donation page.

Mary Clement Kekich, CDP

We commend to your charity the soul of our beloved
Sister Mary Clement Kekich      
who departed this life on Thursday, April 22, 2010
in the seventy-fourth year of her religious life
Age: 90 years, 5 months, 25 days
Funeral: Monday, April 26, 2010 at 4 p.m.

"We obtain everything from God according to the measure of our confidence." Sister Mary Clement had this saying, which illustrates her quiet life of faith, taped to her wall. 

Anna was one of the youngest of six children born to William and Veronica Kekich of Millvale, Pa. Every day, walking with many other children, Anna crossed the 40th Street Bridge to attend school, where she was taught by the Sisters of St. Agnes. At an early age, Anna was interested in becoming a Sister and spent her first year of high school at the Sisters of St. Agnes’ prep school. The next year, she transferred to Providence High, joining other young women at the prep school of the Sisters of Divine Providence. One of her brothers had entered the Capuchin Order, and at age 16, Anna entered and began her life as a Sister, as was common in those days.  

Sister Mary Clement completed her high school studies even as she was being taught about prayer, community, and the vows. The Sisters who entered at about the same time say that Sister Mary Clement was always quiet and shy. She was also generous and self-giving, always willing to do what others asked. She once told a Sister that no matter what anyone asked of her, she would not refuse them.  

Trained as an educator, Sister Mary Clement enjoyed the children and worked hard to help each one to know God and to be prepared for life. Wherever she was, she served those in need: the children, their parents, the parishioners, and her Sisters. For 26 years, Sister Mary Clement served in schools of the  Diocese of Pittsburgh, and for another 22 years, she served as both teacher and principal in schools in Puerto Rico. Her facility with Spanish also became a gift for her Sisters. After returning to the States, Sister Mary Clement offered basic Spanish classes to Sisters who wanted to learn, and often she was asked to translate messages into English.

After almost fifty years as an educator, Sister Mary Clement returned to Providence Heights. She received training in nursing care so that she could assist with the care of her frail and elderly Sisters, which she did for seven years, and when that became too much, she continued to serve the Sisters as a driver. Her quiet, positive approach to life and her prayerful ways supported and strengthened others in community. 

Sister Mary Clement gave witness of a simple, faith-filled life and was a model of generosity. Quietly, she lived her final days and years, making prayerful visits in chapel on her way to visit Sisters in the infirmary. On her last morning, she participated in the Eucharistic Liturgy, as always, and joined Sisters for breakfast. Later, quietly sitting in her chair, Sister Mary Clement peacefully slipped away from us and met the One to whom she had given her life and love. 

We obtain everything from God according to the measure of our confidence.

Feast Day: September 24

Written by Sister Mary Francis Fletcher

If you would like to make a gift to the Sisters of Divine Providence in memory of Sister Mary Clement, visit our donation page.

DeLellis Oravitz, CDP

We commend to your charity the soul of our beloved 
Sister DeLellis Oravitz        
who departed this life on Saturday, June 19, 2010
in the seventy-sixth year of her religious life
Age: 91 years, 11 months, 11 days
Funeral: Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 4 p.m.

… Seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness and all … will be given you besides.  [Matt. 6:24-34]

These words, taken from the gospel reading of the liturgy on the day of Sister DeLellis’ death, come from what we, the Sisters, have often called our Providence Gospel. 

Grace Elizabeth, one of nine children born to Freda and Michael Oravitz, attended St. Mary School in Beaver Falls, Pa., and was taught by the Sisters of Divine Providence. Desiring to become a Sister, Grace attended Providence High School as an aspirant. In the summer when she became sixteen, Grace was accepted for entrance into the community.  

With the other young women who joined the community in the fall of 1934, Sister DeLellis learned how to live more deeply in God’s presence and service. The spirit of the community resonated deep within her. Living more fully aware of the promise and invitation of our Provident God, she grew in quiet faith and simple trust of God’s loving Providence, responding often to, "… Seek first the Kingdom of God … do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear."

For twenty-eight years, Sister DeLellis happily served in the Pittsburgh Catholic school system and, for another eleven years, she served the children and families in Arecibo and Utuado, Puerto Rico. As a teacher, Sister DeLellis asked a lot of her students, working to help them master the skills they would need in their adult lives. She trusted in the gifts God had given her as she moved into new ministries and adapted to new situations of community and service. In between her years of teaching, Sister DeLellis also served for twenty-one years as a financial officer at Divine Providence Hospital, graciously accepting and becoming proficient in her new responsibilities. At the end of her ministerial life, Sister DeLellis again took on a new ministry, serving the community for three years as Assistant Archivist. 

In community, Sister DeLellis was easygoing and a lot of fun. The Sisters delighted in her lighthearted ways, her undemanding presence, and her readiness to enjoy the moments with them. In her relationships, Sister DeLellis lived with a joy and freedom that brought pleasure to those with whom she lived and worked. She lived in trust, with openness and compassion for all she met, as she took to heart, "Can anyone of you by worrying add a single moment to your life span? … Do not worry about tomorrow…"

In her later years, as throughout her life, Sister DeLellis enjoyed conversations with the Sisters. She was always available and attentive to what was happening, noticing what was needed, listening to others, and sharing her experiences with them. She especially loved to walk outside and was always grateful when another Sister would accompany her to revel in nature’s beauty, the birdsongs, and the pleasure of a warm sun or a cool wind as she walked. Now as she enjoys her new life enveloped in God’s loving presence, she has reached her goal: seeking first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness and ... we believe, all else has been given her… besides. 

Birthday: July 8

Written by Sister Mary Francis Fletcher

If you would like to make a gift to the Sisters of Divine Providence in memory of Sister DeLellis, visit our donation page.

Floretta Hoerster, CDP

We commend to your charity the soul of our beloved
Sister Floretta Hoerster
who departed this life on Friday, June 25, 2010
in the eighty-fifth year of her religious life
Age: 100 years, 4 months, 18 days
Funeral: Monday, June 28, 2010 at 4 p.m.

…go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. [Matt. 28:19-29]

Magdalene Rose, second of four children of Henry and Rose Hoerster, attended St. Martin’s School in West End, Pa. She learned from her mother’s “good example” and was greatly influenced by Sister Agnes Meinert, her elementary school principal, as well as by the “patience, piety and good example” of the Sisters who taught her. Desiring to become a Sister of Divine Providence, Magdalene became an aspirant, attending the Sister’s high school, and entering the community soon after her fifteenth birthday. 

With the other young women who entered at the same time, Magdalene, named Sister Floretta, continued her high school classes, while also being prepared for life as a Sister of Divine Providence.  She lived the religious life as she learned about it, growing in knowledge and experience in prayer and ministry, generosity and service, community life and the vows. Later in life, Sister Floretta shared that the most satisfying and rewarding part of her religious life was prayer and “being of service to others.” 

Sister Floretta studied and spent her life, sharing her knowledge and her gifts in education, as a teacher and principal, in elementary and high schools. For 66 years, she ministered in education, serving in the Pittsburgh Diocese for 41 years, spending her last 15 of those years in ministry at Providence Heights Alpha School, and serving another 25 years as a missionary in Puerto Rico. Sister Floretta took to heart the last words of Jesus to his disciples, "Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you." 

Sister Floretta loved life; she loved learning and teaching; she loved the children whose lives she touched; she especially loved being a missionary. She travelled to Puerto Rico in 1936, with the second group of Sisters, just four years after the community’s island beginnings. She was excited to volunteer and be accepted, and later remembered, “I was young, it was fun…. I loved the challenge of a new beginning.” 

In describing herself, Sister Floretta noted she was agreeable, as well as stubborn and a perfectionist. Ten years ago, Sister Floretta wrote, “During my entire religious life, I have always tried to be pleasant and charitable in my dealing with others.” These qualities gave her an inner strength to face and accept life’s challenges: teaching in thirteen different schools and parishes, getting acquainted with students, families, and parishioners, studying and teaching from many types of books and materials, learning a new language, adapting to a different culture, living in community with different sisters in many convents and experiencing the enormous changes in society, in religious life, and in the Church after Vatican II.

Daily, even in her final years of retirement, Sister Floretta sought God and served the God of Providence to whom she had dedicated her life. It gave her great joy to have her niece, Kathleen, join her in the community to share her life as a Sister of Divine Providence. At one time of reflection on her life, Sister Floretta wrote, “Anyone considering life as a religious should be advised to always listen to the voice of God’s Spirit within. It is the only way to true fulfillment in life.” Having spent 100 years listening, seeking, loving and serving, Sister Floretta has influenced the lives of so many students and Sisters in community. She has truly fulfilled Jesus’ command to his disciples, "…go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…."

Feast Day: October 1

Written by Sister Mary Francis Fletcher

If you would like to make a gift to the Sisters of Divine Providence in memory of Sister Floretta, visit our donation page.

Edna Herbst, CDP

We commend to your charity the soul of our beloved
Sister Edna Herbst
who departed this life on Saturday, July 10, 2010
in the eighty-first year of her religious life
Age: 96 years, 8 months, 29 days
Funeral: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 4 p.m. 

…Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it dawned on humankind what has been prepared for those who love God. [1 Cor. 2:9] 

Edna Cecilia, daughter of Olivia and Leonard Herbst, with her sister and five brothers, attended St. Joseph’s School in Braddock where she first met the Sisters of Divine Providence. At age 15, after asking for a sign whether God wanted her to become a sister, Edna received that sign, a pink rose, and “from that time on, I was going to be a nun.”

Named Sister Regis Marie as a novice, some forty years later, as many changes came into religious life, Sister Edna decided to return to her baptismal name. From her earliest days in community, she sought to grow closer to God by listening, learning, and living within the daily reality of religious life. 

Prepared as a teacher, Sister Edna didn’t expect to enjoy teaching. “All I knew was that I wanted to paint.” She was surprised that she loved teaching and she gave herself fully to all she taught, though her greatest love was teaching art classes. One student wrote of her, “…she, a no-nonsense type, validated my writing skills...She taught me so much about the basics, and she encouraged me to improve and gave me the tools to do it.” 

Sister Edna taught in many schools in the Pittsburgh diocese, first in elementary and later in high school, as well as teaching for four years in Kingston, Mass. Having completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1972, Sister Edna became coordinator of the Fine Arts Department at La Roche College where she taught for another sixteen years, bringing to an end a teaching career spanning six decades. 

During a lifetime of painting, Sister Edna had more than 30 exhibits of her abstract and realistic paintings and sold many of her works. A 1970s news article identified her as “one of the outstanding Pittsburgh area artists.” Sister Edna once wrote, “Art always did appeal to me… I think differently when I view things and I love to create something that has never been seen (Abstract) and as I am working on a piece, I am lost in the marvel of the material, the working of it, the feel of it, the results of using it…” 

In 2005 Sister Edna sent Pope John Paul II what she believed would be her last painting. Thanking the Holy Father for dedicating a year to the Blessed Sacrament, Sister Edna wrote, “My whole love is the Blessed Sacrament…Receiving the Holy Eucharist is what makes me see Christ in others.”   

On her 90th birthday, Sister Edna could say, “I don’t think I will be wanting to paint when I get to heaven, but that was my joy here on earth. While I was here, doing art was a spiritual experience that was interactive with my religious life.” Sister Edna’s God-given gift led her to know God in ever-deeper ways. Her faith and spirituality were interwoven with her sharing in God’s creativity. 

Now as Sister Edna shares in eternal life, may she experience the fullness of love and joy, an experience beyond what she could ever have imagined, even through her artist’s perspective. Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it dawned on humankind what has been prepared for those who love God.

Birthday: October 11

Written by Sister Mary Francis Fletcher

If you would like to make a gift to the Sisters of Divine Providence in memory of Sister Edna, visit our donation page.

Willemene Krise, CDP

We commend to your charity the soul of our beloved
Sister Willemene Krise
who departed this life on Tuesday, October 19, 2010
in the sixty-seventh year of her religious life
Age:  89 years, 2 months, 14 days
Funeral:  Friday, October 22, 2010 at 3:30 p.m.

"The saints are happy in heaven because they followed Christ.  They rejoice with Him forever…”

These words from today’s Entrance Antiphon speak eloquently of the final passage of one who followed Christ in religious life for almost 67 years. As the Sisters quietly celebrated the Eucharist in the Mother of Divine Providence Chapel, Sister Willemene gently slipped into the eternal banquet, rejoicing with all the saints forever!

Anna Grace Krise was born August 5, 1921 to the late William and Anna Marie in Duquesne, Pa. She and her sister, Dorothy, attended both public grade school and high school. Anna Grace entered the Sisters of Divine Providence in December of 1943. At her reception into the novitiate, she was given the name Sister Willemene in honor of her father. Sister Willemene began her nursing studies at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pa., and, after two years, transferred to Catholic University, Washington, D.C., where she received her BS in Nursing Education in 1949. In 1971, she received a Master of Business Administration from Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio. Responding to a call in health care services, Sister Willemene ministered in the greater Pittsburgh area, serving at Braddock General Hospital, Divine Providence Hospital and Cambridge Springs. She also spent one year at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Granite City, Ill.

For ten years, Sister Willemene was Executive Director of the Visiting Nursing Association for Clarion and Forest Counties. She lived in the town of Knox, Pa., and was well-known in this little community as THE Sister of Divine Providence. To this day, the folks of this area are still talking about her energy and leadership to make sure that those who were home-bound had the nursing services they needed. Her legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of many. After leaving her position with the VNA, she ministered for one year at Just-Inn in the Mt. Washington area of Pittsburgh -- a program providing housing for the elderly under the auspices of Christian Housing, Inc. The director of this program said this of Sister Willemene, “It is difficult for anybody to realize what you put into this work since it was pioneering and really a first of its kind around here. Being very much aware of what it meant to set up this building, your courage and fortitude is certainly admired and your spirit will remain at Just-Inn.” 

Still not ready to embrace full retirement, Sister Willemene, upon her moving to Providence Heights in 1989, offered her services as a driver and one of the collectors of fees in the dining room. She did this until her eye sight prohibited her.

Now able to see her Beloved God face-to-face, she rejoices in the words of today’s Communion verse, “…You will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.” May we, too, who follow Christ, rejoice in spirit with Sister Willemene and may she remember us and intercede for us as she rejoices at the table of the Lord.

Feast Day: July 13

SCS

If you would like to make a gift to the Sisters of Divine Providence in memory of Sister Willimene, visit our donation page.

Patricia Roche, CDP

We commend to your charity the soul of our beloved
Sister Patricia Roche 
who departed this life on December 30, 2010
in the sixty-first year of her religious life
Age:  76 years, 4 months, 29 days
Funeral:  Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 3:30 p.m.

Sister Patricia said, “I always have a song in my heart, usually one or two lines from a psalm.” In her 1950 Entrance Recommendation Letter from the pastor of All Saints Parish in Etna, Pa., Fr. Francis Hoffmann must have agreed because he described Pat as “…from a good Catholic home, and should make a good additional member of you community. We recommend her very highly and feel she will live up to your hopes and expectations.” 

The daughter of John and Margaret Roche, Patricia Rose Roche came to love music at an early age, stemming from the example of her Mother who loved to sing and play the piano. A gentle soul, Pat was a steady, calm presence in the classroom, in the community and with whomever she came in contact. Friends and acquaintances spoke of her as a kind and patient presence. 

Pat taught elementary school in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and Archdiocese of Detroit; ministered to the elderly at Saint Mary Mercy Manor in Pittsburgh, Pa., and, in her “retirement,” volunteered for two years at Providence Family Support Center. Always interested in the ministries of those with whom she lived, she joined in various ministry special events, such as, school plays, Campus Ministry workshops, AIDS Candlelight Vigils and Diocesan social events for sisters. 

Throughout her life, Pat was a consistent presence in community. Deeply involved in her local community, she willingly joined in as many provincial events as possible. Even with deteriorating health, she continued to participate in her Circle of Collaboration group. Assemblies and Chapters were a “must-attend” for her, and she encouraged other Sisters and Associates to become active also.

Pat, when you were with us you always had a song in your heart, often singing your favorite Psalm 139, “Lord, you have probed me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar.” You can now sing to your Beloved face-to-face.

Birthday:  August 1

SMB

If you would like to make a gift to the Sisters of Divine Providence in memory of Sister Pat, visit our donation page.