Maryknoll Sisters

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Lorraine Therese Beinkafner, M.M. died on October 18^th, 2019 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. She was 90 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 73 years.

Lorraine was born in Albany, NY on November 23^rd, 1928 to Mary (Brust) Beinkafner and Charles J. Beinkafner. She had two sisters and one brother, Marjorie Ann, Virginia and Paul; all of whom have predeceased her.

She attended Holy Names Academy in Albany, NY from 1942-1946. After graduating, she entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Pennsylvania at the Venard on October 5^th, 1946 (from her home Parish of St. Thomas in Delmar, NY). On April 6^th, 1949 she made her First Profession of Vows at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY and her Final Vows on April 6^th, 1952, also at the Sisters Center.

While at Maryknoll, Sister Lorraine studied at Maryknoll Teachers College and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1952. She then attended Mundeleine College from 1968-1970 and earned a Master’s Degree in Religious Education. She later continued her studies at St. Francis Medical Center in LaCrosse, WI, where she earned two certificates in Clinical Pastoral Education.

In 1952, Sister Lorraine received her first overseas mission assignment to Ancon, Canal Zone, Panama, where she taught until 1961.  She then returned to the U.S. to do promotion work for Maryknoll in Texas and Illinois until 1971.  At that time, she also served as the Superior at Rosary Convent in Chicago from 1967-1971.

In 1971, she returned to Central America to do pastoral work in various villages of Guatemala: training indigenous leaders; setting up Christian communities and serving as coordinator of adult groups until 1976. Sister Lorraine was then appointed as Co-Pastor of a Parish that was in San Antonio Palapo, Solala, Guatemala until 1983. From 1984-1992, she served as Co-Pastor again, but this time she was in charge of women’s diocesan work in San Antonio Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Guatemala.

In 1993, she relocated to San Salvador, El Salvador and worked on several mission projects, involving: adult education, pastoral work and an AIDS ministry until 2001.

From 2001-2004, Sister Lorraine worked as Assistant Director of the Development Department at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.  She then was called to El Paso, Texas to work with the Maryknoll Border Team and assisted part-time as a para-legal at Las Americas Immigration Advocacy Center until 2007.  She also worked as Co-Coordinator of the VAWA Program (Violence Against Women), helping women immigrants in domestic violence situations until 2010.

Sister Lorraine retired in 2012 to the Maryknoll Sisters Eastern Region.

A Vespers service will be held for Sister Lorraine on November 10^th, 2019 at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

A Memorial Mass will follow November 11^th, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. also in the Main Chapel at the Center.

Sister Lorraine generously donated her body to science.

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Joan Crevcoure, M.M. died on October 18^th, 2019 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. She was 93 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 73 years.

Joan Crevcoure was born in Green Bay, WI on October 12^th, 1926 to May B. (Fortier) Crevcoure and J. M. Crevcoure. She had one brother and one sister, both of whom have predeceased her.

Joan attended West High School in Green Bay, WI from 1940-1944. Following graduation, she attended Rosary College in River Forest, IL from 1944-1946. She then entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Maryknoll, NY on October 5^th, 1946 (from Annunciation Parish of the Green Bay Diocese). She made her First Profession of Vows on April 6^th, 1949 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY and her Final Vows in Hawaii on April 6^th, 1952.

While at Maryknoll, Sister Joan studied at Maryknoll Teachers College and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1950. She later continued her studies and earned a Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu in 1958.

Sister Joan received her first teaching assignment at St. Anthony School in the Bronx, NY from 1949-1950. The rest of her missionary life was spent between Hawaii and Majuro in the outer Marshall Islands.

In 1950, Sister Joan was assigned to the Maryknoll Grade School in Punahou, HI where she taught until 1961. She then transferred to St. Michael’s School in Waialua, Oahu and spent one year teaching there. In 1962, she moved to Majuro in the Marshall Islands to teach in Junior High School and serve as Principal of Assumption Elementary School until 1969.

Sister Joan returned to the Maryknoll School in Punahou, HI once again, but this time to serve as Administrator of the Elementary and Junior High School until 1972. She then spent the next 22 years serving in the Marshall Islands where she helped form basic Christian Communities. Her pastoral work involved: helping develop two small elementary schools, creating CCD Programs for children, and training adults to be prayer leaders, religious education instructors and elementary school teachers.

In 2004, Sister Joan returned to the U.S. to retire at the Sisters Center in Monrovia, CA. During this time, she remained active and did volunteer work in the local community. She also wrote and published a book called, Ocean Pathways, the story of the Maryknoll Sisters mission work in the Marshall Islands.  In 2015, she relocated to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.

A Vespers service will be held for Sister Joan on Sunday, November 3^rd, 2019 at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

A Memorial Mass will follow on Monday, November 4^th, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. also in the Main Chapel at the Center.

Sister Joan has generously donated her body to science.

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Jean Mary Michalec died on October 1^st, 2019 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. She was a Maryknoll Sisters for 57 years and would have been 80 years old on October 13^th.

Mary Jean Michalec was born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada on October 13^th, 1939 to Terezia (Lukacik) Michalec and John Michalec.  She had one brother named William. Her parents and brother have both pre-deceased her.

From 1953-1957, Mary Jean attended St. Ann’s Academy in New Westminster, B.C.  She then attended the University of B.C., Vancouver, Canada and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry.  She entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Valley Park, MO on October 18^th, 1962 from her home Parish of SS Cyril and Methodius (Diocese of Vancouver, Canada).  At her Reception she received the religious name, Sister Jean Mary.  She made her First Profession of Vows on June 24^th, 1965 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY and her Final Vows in Japan on June 20^th, 1971.

In 1965, Sister Jean studied Bio-Chemistry at Mary Rogers College in Maryknoll, NY until she was assigned to Japan in 1966. Upon arrival, she began studying the Japanese language and continued her studies in Bio-Chemistry at Sophia University in Tokyo from 1971 – 1972. She earned a Master of Arts Degree in Bio-Chemistry in 1973.

Sister Jean began teaching Biology and Chemistry at Sophia University from 1973-1983, but also continued her studies and earned a Doctor of Science Degree in 1979.  She then returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to serve in the Admissions Office from 1983-1986.

She then was called back to Japan to teach science once again at Sophia University until 2004.  During these years, Sister Jean also engaged in a variety of volunteer work: counseling prisoners, teaching foreign prisoners Japanese and working with migrants and students.

In 2002, she served on the Formators Committee of Women Major Superiors.  Sister Jean then helped organize the Committee for Women’s Conference, gave English editorial assistance for the National Christian Conference of Japan, and volunteered at Kalakasan Migrant Center all in 2006.  She assisted with English Communication for the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Tokyo in 2008.

In 2014, Sister Jean returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to retire. She began a prayer ministry with a focus on Japan.

A Vespers Service will be held for Sister Jean Mary on Friday, October 18^th, 2019 at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.   

A Funeral Mass will follow on Saturday, October 19^th, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. also in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Center.   Interment will follow in the Maryknoll Sisters Cemetery on the Center grounds.