Maryknoll, NY: Sister Jacqueline Dorr, M.M. died on February 19th, 2022 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She was 92 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 74 years.
Jacqueline was born in Boston, Massachusetts on November 22nd, 1929, to Helen (O’Neil) Dorr and Paul Dorr. She had two brothers, Dr. Laurence Dorr and Paul Dorr and one sister, Mrs. Janice Giuliani all of whom pre-deceased her.
In 1947, she graduated from Boston Academy of Notre Dame, after graduation she attended Simmons College in Boston for one year. Jacqueline then entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Maryknoll, NY on September 4th, 1948 (from St. Luke’s Parish in Boston, MA). She pronounced her First Profession of Vows on March 7th, 1951 and her Final Profession of Vows three years later on March 7th, 1954, both at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.
From 1949-1953, Sister Jacqueline attended Maryknoll Teachers College (located on the property of the Maryknoll Sisters Center). In 1953 she was assigned to Boston, Chinatown where she worked with youth.
In 1959 she returned to Maryknoll Teachers College and completed her Bachelor of Education Degree.
In 1959 Sister Jacqueline received her first overseas mission assignment to Tanganyika, East Africa. There, she studied the Kikwaya language and did pastoral and office work until 1962. She then relocated to Makoko, studying the Kiswahili language and teaching at Makoko School for Aspirants
From 1963 – 1964, she assisted in opening the Kabanga Girls’ Middle School, (a boarding school for girls) and also taught there. Sister Jacqueline then served in Bukoba, Tanzania from 1965-1971 teaching at Rugambwa Secondary School a boarding school.
In 1972, she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to serve as a member of the secretarial staff until 1974. Sister Jacqueline then returned to Africa to the city of Nakuru in Kenya. There, she taught at Menengai High School until 1976. From 1977-1979, she was an active team member of the District Religious Education Team, doing on-going education seminars for Primary School Teachers and facilitated DELTA workshops for the Kenya Catholic Secretariat.
For a brief period from 1980-1982, Sister Jacqueline returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center to work in the Maryknoll Mission Institute Department. In 1983, she once again returned to Kenya, this time to the town of Nanyuki, working as a member of the Marsabit Diocese Development Education Team. She provided Educational Workshops for Nomadic Desert Peoples of Northern Kenya.
From 1987-1992, she was working in Nairobi, Kenya when she became Co-founder of RIZIKI Rehabilitation Program for women ex-prisoners. During this time she also took educational courses at Kangemi Women’s Centre; authored a resource book, “Choose Life” and did an Oxfam Project: “Women, Law and Development”.
Sister Jacqueline served as the Congregations’ Personnel Director from 1992-1996 and then returned to Nairobi, Kenya one last time to teach seminars, workshops and retreats from 1997-2004.
In 2005, she retired to the Maryknoll Sisters house in Monrovia, CA. In 2018, she relocated to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY where she remained until her death.
Funeral Services:
A Vespers service was held for Sister Jacqueline on March 3rd at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.
A Mass of Resurrection was held on March 4th at 11:00 a.m. also at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.