Sister Mary Elizabeth Keyser, Maryknoll Sister for 80 Years Dies

Posted on July 27, 2018

Sister Mary Elizabeth Keyser died on July 24th, 2018 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. She was 98 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 80 years.

Mary Elizabeth was born in Philadelphia, PA on May 3rd, 1920 to Della (Haney) Keyser and Henry Nelson Keyser, both are now deceased. She is survived by her brother, Nelson Keyser and his family.

In 1937, Mary Elizabeth graduated from West Philadelphia Catholic Girls High School in Philadelphia, PA. She entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Maryknoll, NY on December 7th, 1937 from St. Matthias Parish in Bala Cynwyd, PA in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. At her Reception she received the religious name, Sister Anne Virginia. She made her First Profession of Vows on June 30th, 1940 and her Final Profession of Vows on the same day in 1943, both at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

In 1943, after making her Final Vows, Sister Mary Elizabeth was assigned to San Juan Bautista, CA where she did catechetical work for four years. In 1957, she was assigned to Bethany House (Maryknoll Sisters Nursing Home) in Ossining, NY where she provided aid to elderly Sisters and often assisted with transportation needs for two years. In 1949, Sister Mary Elizabeth received her first overseas mission assignment to Bolivia, South America. Upon her arrival, she studied the Spanish language and then served as Principal of the Maryknoll Sisters Schools in both Cochabamba and Riberalta until 1956.

Sister Mary Elizabeth returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in 1958, for Congregational Service in the Development Department doing Promotion in the Mid-West. In 1959, she was assigned to Chile where she served as Executive Secretary, Supervisor of Catechetics and established programs for the ICLA (Instituto de Catequesis Latino American). In addition, she served as the Directress of Carmelite House of Prayer in Santiago and was the Coordinator of the Maryknoll Sisters House in the Chile region until 1992.

In 1992, Sister Mary Elizabeth was assigned to Monrovia, CA where she worked as a volunteer in religious education in the Immaculate Conception Parish and served as RCIA Director of Hispanics for the parish from 1998-2001. She also spent a considerable amount of time doing volunteer work by writing letters to women in prison.

In 2004, Sister Mary Elizabeth returned to NY to retire at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, where she remained until her death on July 24, 2018.

A Vespers service will be held for Sister Mary Elizabeth on Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 4:15 p.m. in the Main Chapel at the Maryknoll Sisters Center. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow on Friday, July 27, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. also in the Main Chapel at the Center. Interment will follow in the Maryknoll Sisters Cemetery on the Center grounds.

Sister Barbara Anne Masterson, Maryknoll Sister for 71 Years Dies

Posted on July 11, 2018

Sister Barbara Anne Masterson died on July 3rd, 2018 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. She was 89 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 71 years.

She was born in Syracuse, NY on August 20th, 1928 to Florence and Charles Masterson, both of whom are deceased. She has one brother, Charles Jr. and three sisters: Irene, Genevieve and Mary.

Barbara graduated from St. Michael’s Cathedral High School in Springfield, MA in 1946. She entered the Congregation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY from Holy Cross Parish, Springfield MA, in the diocese of Springfield. At her Reception she received the name Sister Rose Christelle. She made her First Profession of Vows on April 6th, 1949 and her Final Profession of Vows on April 6th, 1953 both at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

From 1949 –1951, Sister Barbara studied at St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Hartford, CT. Her first assignment was to Bethany House, in Ossining, NY, caring for the Congregation’s infirm and elderly. Later she went to Monrovia, CA to serve at the tuberculosis hospital run by the Congregation. In 1959, she was assigned to Hawaii where she worked at the Maui Children’s Home in Paia and St. Anthony Convent in Wailuku. From 1968-1970, she studied at Mary Rogers College in Maryknoll, NY and received an Associate of Arts Degree. She then continued her studies at Brockport State University in Brockport, NY, earning her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing in 1973.

In 1974, Sister Barbara Anne received her first overseas mission assignment to the Pando Vicariate, Bolivia. She worked as a nurse in the Riberalta Hospital, while studying the Spanish language. From 1975-1979, she worked in Cobija, Boliva doing public health with health promoters in the rural area. Later that year, she moved to Cochabamba, Bolivia and worked with CEVIFA: Archdiocesan Family Life Center until 1987.

Sister Barbara returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center where she gave service in the Congregational Health Service Department until 1991. She was then assigned back to Bolivia, to work with women and in health services at the Cochabamba’s Cristo Rey Parish until 2001; when she retired to Monrovia, CA. In 2008 she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in New York where she died peacefully on July 3, 2018.

A Vespers service will be held for Sister Barbara on Thursday, July 5, 2018 at 4:15 p.m. in the Main Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center

A Mass of the Resurrection will follow on Friday, July 6, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. also in the Main Chapel at the Center. Interment will follow in the Maryknoll Sisters Cemetery on the Center grounds.

Sister Mary Frances Kobets, Maryknoll Sister for 58 Years Dies

Posted on July 3, 2018

Sister Mary Frances (Fran) Kobets died suddenly on June 29th, 2018 in Gweru, Zimbabwe. She was 76 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 58 years. Fran was born on March 19th, 1942 in Kansas City, Missouri to Dolores (Gardner) Kobets and Godfrey S. Kobets. She had one brother, Thomas. Her parents have predeceased her.

Fran graduated from Loretto Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1959.   She worked as a nurses’ aide at Menorah Hospital in Kansas City until she entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Valley Park, Missouri on December 30th, 1959.

At her Reception, she received the religious name Sister M. Frances Assisi. She made her First Profession of Vows in Valley Park, Missouri on August 22nd, 1962 and her Final Vows on June 24th, 1968, also in Valley Park.  From 1962-1963, she attended Maryknoll Teachers College in Maryknoll, New York; while studying she also worked in their Purchasing Department until 1966. Sister Fran, then attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas; where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture, Economics and Animal Husbandry in 1969. She was one of the first two women to receive this degree at the university.

Sister Fran’s first overseas assignment was to Makoko, Tanzania. She studied the Swahili language and worked at the Ministry of Agriculture Training Institute (MATIN) at Nyegezi in Mwanza; teaching agriculture and animal production from 1970 – 1978.

In 1978, she returned to the United States to attend Kansas State University once again; this time to earn a Masters of Science Degree in Applied Animal Science & Industry in 1980.

Sister Fran was then assigned to Zimbabwe in 1982. There, she taught Agriculture at the Teacher’s College, became Head of their Agriculture Department and Supervisor in their Farm and Production Unit from 1982-1989. Sister Fran spent the next 36 years in Zimbabwe working in various roles such as: agriculture, teaching, and supporting HIV/AIDS orphans. Together with Sister Patricia Startup, M.M. she founded the organization OEAS (Orphans Education and Agriculture Support) in 2001; which focuses on helping HIV/AIDS orphans and children at risk in the areas of Zimbabwe with the greatest needs.

On October 7, 2011 the Department of Agriculture Economics of Kansas State University presented her with The Distinguished Agricultural Economics Alumnus Award.

Sister Fran remained very active in her mission work in Zimbabwe with OEAS up until her death.

A memorial service will be held for Sister Fran at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in NY. Her internment was held in Gweru, Zimbabwe on July 2nd, 2018.