Maryknoll Sisters

Maryknoll, NY-Sister Mary Paulita Hoffman died on March 14^th, 2019 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. She was 104 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 85 years.

Mary Rose Hoffmann was born in Cincinnati, OH on August 13th, 1914 to Mary (Dumont) Hoffman and Oscar Hoffman. She was the youngest child in a family of eight children: four sons and three daughters. Her four brothers: John, Oscar-Jacob, Joseph and Oscar-Michael and her three sisters: Marie, Sr. Mary Eileen (Lorraine) and Margaret have all long ago predeceased her.

In 1932, Mary Rose graduated from Our Lady of the Angels High School in St. Bernard, OH and attended The Atheneum-a Catholic institution for Christian formation of priests and laity.  She also was a swimming instructor, Red Cross volunteer and worked in an office.

She entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY on June 4^th, 1933 from Sacred Heart Parish (Cincinnati Archdiocese).  At her Reception she received the religious name, Sister Mary Paulita, which she retained throughout her religious life. Sister Paulita made her First Profession of Vows on January 6^th, 1936 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY. After making her First Vows, she served as Assistant Novice Mistress until 1938, when she received her first overseas mission assignment to China. She made her Final Vows on January 6^th, 1939 in Kaying, China.

After language study in 1938, Sister Paulita’s work was in direct evangelization, catechesis, pastoral visiting and native novitiates until 1950, when she was placed under house arrest by the new Communist government. After two years, when Bishop Ford died in the Guangdong prison on February 21^st, 1952, (presumed date), Sister Paulita was freed and expelled from China. She went to Hong Kong for a short period and then returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY for medical attention. The lack of food during her period of confinement required an emergency operation and treatment. After a long period of recovery, Sister Paulita worked in the Maryknoll Sisters Promotion Department until 1954.

Sister Paulita loved China and the Chinese, and after her recovery in 1954, she was one of the first Sisters assigned to Taiwan. When she had first gone to China, Sister had learned the Hakka language so she chose to go to the Miaoli Deanery for her ministry. Sister first served in Nan Chuang Parish, but lived with other Sisters in the Toufen Convent. This was no problem for Sister since she traveled back and forth every day on her motorcycle! Paulita worked for over 50 years with the Hakka and Aboriginal peoples in Taiwan. She was rewarded for this long and faithful service with a certificate of Permanent Residency making her a citizen of Taiwan.

From 1954 until 2004, Sr. Paulita lived and worked in Taiwan doing a variety of pastoral-catechetical works in a number of parishes in Toufen in Miaoli County, Fenglin in Hualien County and Tungshih in Taichung County.  Among other skills, she was an artist with a keen eye for unique pieces of wood.  Despite the fact that her right hand had been severely crushed in a laundry mangle while she was still a novice, over the years she carved beautiful wood crucifixes from interesting branches she collected on her many mission trips into the mountains of the Miaoli area.

All was not always serene in Taiwan. Sister Paulita relates how she survived a number of earthquakes like the one that claimed some 2,000 lives in September of 1999.  She was at the epicenter of the quake in Tungshih. For three days the Sisters in Taiwan did not know if she had survived.  When they finally made contact with her, she chose to remain for several weeks with the people in Tungshih, sleeping with them on the floor of the parish church – one of the few buildings in town that had remained unscathed.

In 2004, Sister Paulita returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY where she continued to serve her community in various positions until 2012 when she retired. Sister Paulita made it to the remarkable age of 104 years old, despite being placed under house arrest by the Communist Regime, being a victim of a freak accident which left her with a severely crushed hand, and surviving several earthquakes in Taiwan!

A Vespers service will be held for Sister Paulita on Monday, March 18^th, 2019 at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

A Mass of Christian Burial will follow on Tuesday, March 19^th, 2019 at 11:00 a.m., also in the Chapel of the Annunciation. Interment will follow in the Maryknoll Sisters Cemetery on the Center grounds.

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Bernadette Higa died on March 12^th, 2019 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. She was 93 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 68 years.

Shigeko was born in Kaupakalua, Maui, Hawaii on October 12^th, 1925 to Kame (Miyashiro) Higa and Ushi Higa. She had two brothers and seven sisters.  One brother and three sisters have predeceased her. She was very close to her Sister Mary Louise, who is also a Maryknoll Sister and an active member of the Congregation today. Shigeko became interested in the Catholic Faith in eighth grade, she was baptized as Bernadette on August 14^th, 1943 at Sacred Heart Church in Honolulu, Oahu.

She attended Maui High School for one year, McKinley High School in Honolulu for two years and Maryknoll High School in Honolulu for two years, graduating in 1945. Together, Bernadette and her sister Mary Louise studied at St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Honolulu, from 1946-1949, and both became Registered Nurses.

From 1949-1950, Bernadette worked at St. Francis Hospital. She then entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate with her sister, Mary Louise in Valley Park, MO on February 1^st, 1951 from St. Stephen’s Parish in Honolulu. At her Reception, she received the religious name Sister Marie Bernadette. She made her First Profession of Vows on September 8^th, 1953 in Valley Park, MO and spent the rest of the year working in the Outpatient Clinic at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. In 1954, Bernadette was assigned to Queen of the World Hospital in Kansas City, MO; while there she made her Final Vows on September 8^th, 1959.

After making her Final Vows, she was assigned to Taiwan, there she began her mission with language study. From 1960-1972, Sister Bernadette worked with indigenous people in a pre and post-natal clinic, well baby clinic and held nutrition classes in Taiwan.

In 1973, Sister Bernadette returned to St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu for a refresher course in general nursing.  She then studied at Chaminade College in Honolulu from 1973-1976, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies.

After doing Congregational Service at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY from 1976-1978, Sister Bernadette was assigned to the Congregation’s new mission project in Bangladesh. While waiting for her visa to Bangladesh, she returned to Honolulu and worked in a Surgeon’s clinic for one year. In Bangladesh, she was involved in Natural Family Planning for three years. In 1984, she returned to Hawaii to serve as an Assistant Chaplain at Hawaii State Hospital. She also studied Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), counseled patients in a mental hospital and provided religious services until 1994.

Sister Bernadette returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY where she worked as a clerk/typist in the Admissions Office until 1997. She then returned to Hawaii once again to do volunteer work in the Regional Office, visit the sick at their homes and in the hospital.

In 2006, Sister Bernadette retired at the Sisters retirement house in Monrovia, CA where she remained until 2011; she then returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY due to declining health. She remained at the Sisters Center until the time of her death.

Sister Bernadette died on March 12^th, 2019 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY. She was accompanied by her loving sister Mary Louise at the time of her death.

Sister Bernadette will be cremated.

A Vespers Service will be held  on Tuesday, March 26th, 2019 at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at Maryknoll Sisters Center.

A Funeral Mass will follow on Wednesday, March 27th, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. also in the Main Chapel at the Center.  

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Joan Chatfield died on March 1^st, 2019 in Oahu, Hawaii. She was 86 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 68 years.

Joan was born in Elizabeth, NJ, on October 7^th, 1932 to Angela (Mc Cahill) Chatfield and Henry Summers Chatfield.  She had two sisters, Olive and Mary.  Her parents and sisters have predeceased her.

In 1950, Joan graduated from Mount St. Dominic Academy in Caldwell, NJ. She then entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Maryknoll, NY on September 6^th, 1950 from St. Aloysius Parish in Caldwell, NJ (Diocese of Newark).  At her Reception she received the religious name, Sister Dominic Rosaire. She made her First Profession of Vows on March 7^th, 1953 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY and her Final Profession on March 7^th, 1959 in Honolulu, HI.  She returned to her baptismal name Joan, after Vatican Council II.

Sister Joan studied at Maryknoll Teachers College from 1952 – 1953 and Manhattanville College from 1953 – 1956, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology and Chemistry.  She was then assigned to Hawaii where she spent the next 36 years teaching high school religion, biology, and chemistry.

In 1968, Sister Joan went to San Francisco, CA to earn a Master’s Degree in Theology at the University of San Francisco. After receiving her Degree, she returned to Honolulu, HI, where she was Chairperson of the Theology Department and Teacher/Counsellor at Maryknoll High School until 1972. From 1974-1977, she served as Director of the Maryknoll Sisters Mission Institute (educational programs provided by the Maryknoll Sisters to other missioners and the public) at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY.

Over the next 30 years, Sister Joan dedicated her life and ministry to ecumenism and bringing people of all faiths together in Hawaii. From 1980-2010, she served as Executive Director of the Institute for Religion and Social Change which included: Chair of the Diocesan Commission on Ecumenism in the Diocese of Honolulu; NADEO (National Association of Diocesan Ecumenical Officers);

Faiths in the World Committee, and Institute for Religion and Social Change. In 1983, she went back to California, this time for her graduate studies at the Theological Union – Pacific School of Religion in Berkley, CA.  There she earned a Doctor of Philosophy Degree.

After earning her Doctorate, she returned to Hawaii once again. From 1989-1997, Sister Joan taught two classes at Chaminade University in Honolulu and was also their Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts.  From 2003 – 2019, she served as President of three groups in Hawaii: CWUH (Church Women United); ABN (All Believers Network); GYCH (Global Youth Center).

On February 13^th, 2009 she was among five who were named as “Living Treasures of Hawaii” for their contributions to Hawaii’s distinctive cultural and artistic heritage.

Services will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2019 at Sacred Heart Church, 1701 Wilder Avenue, Honolulu, HI.  Viewing at 9:00 am, Mass at 10:30 am and Reception to follow at 11:30 am-1:30 pm at Maryknoll Grade School Campus, 1722 Dole Street. 

Burial will be at 2:00 pm at Diamond Head Memorial Park.