Maryknoll Sisters

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Julie Miller died on July 25^th, 2019 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. She was 76 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 57 years.  She was born in Norfolk, VA on November 11^th, 1942 to Frances (James) Miller and Joseph Miller.  She had a brother, James and two sisters, Gloria and Mary. Her brother and parents are both deceased, she is survived by her two sisters.

In 1960, Julie graduated from St. Vincent’s Academy, in Savannah, GA and then attended Armstrong Junior College in Savannah from 1960-1961. She entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Maryknoll, NY on September 2^nd, 1961 (from St. James’s Parish in Savannah, GA).   At her Reception she received the religious name, Sister Maureen Faith, and returned to her baptismal name after Vatican Council II. She made her First Profession of Vows on June 24^th, 1964 at the Maryknoll Sisters Topsfield, MA Novitiate and her Final Vows on June 14^th, 1970 in Japan.

From 1964-1969, Sister Julie studied at Mary Rogers College (on the Maryknoll Sisters Property) in Maryknoll, NY and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Community Service.

In 1969, she received her first overseas mission assignment to Japan, where she studied Japanese until 1971.  That year she was the only American as a language staff member of the “Japan Overseas Co-operation Volunteers”, a government agency. From 1972-1973, Sister Julie taught volunteers at the “Japan Peace Corps”, music at Aoyama School, and English at Futaba School. She also did private English tutoring at that time.

In 1974, she returned to the United States to study at the University of Georgia where she earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology in 1975.

Sister Julie was then assigned to the Panama/Nicaragua/El Salvador Region in 1976. She first served in Nicaragua where she worked with catechists and church leaders. In 1979, she went to El Salvador to do pastoral work, but soon after returned to Nicaragua to engage in relief work after the war.

From 1986 – 1987, she returned to the United States to study once again. She attended New York State University and Long Island University, earning a Certificate in Gerontological Counseling and became licensed as a Nursing Home Administrator.  She was then appointed as Administrator of the Maryknoll Nursing Home from 1984-1987.

Sister Julie joined the Maryknoll Sisters Eastern U.S. Region and worked as Nursing Home Administrator for the Sparkill Dominican Sisters from 1987-1998.  She returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center for Congregational Service as Associate Congregational Personnel Director until 2001. She was given a special assignment as Center Liturgist and was the Director of Music and Liturgy at the Maryknoll Sisters Center from 2001 until her retirement in 2015.

A Vespers Service will be held for Sister Julie Miller in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center on Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at 4:15 P.M.

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place in the same Chapel on Wednesday, August 7, 2019 at 11:00 A.M.   Interment will follow at the Maryknoll Sisters Cemetery.

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Rose Dominic Trapasso died on July 14^th, 2019 at Clinica Stella Maris Medical Center in Lima, Peru. She was 94 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 70 years.

Marie Louise Trapasso was born in Niagara Falls, New York on September 23^rd, 1924 to Rose (Di Ciocco) Trapasso and Dominic Trapasso.  She had two sisters, Joan Ann and Margaret. Her parents and sister, Margaret have predeceased her.

In 1941, Marie Louise graduated from Niagara Falls Public High School. She then attended New York State College for Teachers in Albany, NY from 1941 to 1945, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education. From 1946-1947, Marie Louise enrolled at the University of Buffalo, NY earning a Master’s Degree in Social Work. After completing her studies, she worked briefly at Catholic Charities of Niagara Falls before entering the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate.

On September 6^th, 1948 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Ossining, NY she joined the Sisters from (St. Joseph’s Parish, Buffalo, NY). At her reception she received the religious name, Sister Rose Dominic, honoring both her father and mother with that name. She retained that name until her death. She made her first Profession of Vows on March 7^th, 1951 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY and her Final Vows on the same date in Bolivia in 1954.

Sister Rose Dominic’s first assignment was to Hawaii in 1951, she lived in Nuuanu and worked at Catholic Charities in Honolulu. In 1953, she received her first overseas assignment to the Bolivia/Peru Region. She studied Spanish at Cochabamba, Bolivia until 1954, then she was assigned to Lima, Peru to work at Caritas de Lima (the social work of the Archdiocese of Lima). From 1961-1972, Sister Rose Dominic along with three Peruvian social workers and another Maryknoll Sister, Sister Rose Timothy Galvin, initiated a Department of Social Development at Caritas de Lima.  During the 1960s, she taught in the newly established School of Social Work, affiliated with the Catholic University of Peru and supervised students studying in the National School of Social Service.

From 1973-1987, with Maryknoll Sister Rose Timothy Galvin, she co-founded a small center, Creativity and Change-to promote concern for women’s rights. In 1977, Sister Rose Dominic with two other women, set up another center- the Movimiento El Pozo, (The Well Movement).  This center was designed to work specifically with women involved in prostitution and to educate the public through written materials on the trafficking of women and girls.

From 1987-2010, Sister Rose Dominic continued to do outreach work on behalf of women in Lima. She eventually retired in Lima at the nursing home of the Religious of the Sacred Heart, where she later died.

A Mass of Resurrection, celebrated by Maryknoll Fathers Joseph Fedora and Robert Hoffmann, was held on July 15 at the Chapel of the Religious of the Sacred Heart in Lima, Peru.