Sister Mary Thecla Tsuruda, M.M. from blank will be celebrating her 70th Jubilee this year.

Sister Mary Thecla Tsuruda entered Maryknoll on October 14, 1948 from the parish of St. Francis Xavier in Los Angeles, CA. After her mother’s death, the Catholic faith was introduced to her by her sister who was by then three years a convert.  Sister Mary was baptized in 1945 at Manzanar Relocation Center after she finished the required instructions for baptism.

Her first assignment was to Kyoto, Japan in 1953 where Sister Mary immediately started language study and did parish work at Saiin, Takano and Kyoto from 1954 – 1970.  Later at Kyoto, Sister Mary taught English to children and adults from 1971-72, and Adult Education in 1973, also at Kyoto.

Sister Mary’s next assignment was to the Central Pacific Region where she did parish work in Honolulu from 1975-1980 and at the Catholic Social Service Outreach for the Elderly from 1981-1985.  Following Congregational Service at Monrovia (1985-88), Sister Mary returned to Honolulu in 1991 and was a full time worker as Service Aide at the Catholic Charities Services to the Elderly from 1991-1995.

In 2013, Sister Mary returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in NY to retire.