Maryknoll Sisters

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Dolores A. Ritter died on July 14, 2023 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She was 95 years old and a Maryknoll Sister for 71 years.

On December 10, 1928, Sister Dolores A. Ritter was born in Dresden, Kansas to Minnie (Kruse) and Ben Ritter.  She had seven brothers and three sisters; her sister, Mrs. Bernadine Spresser, survives her.

From 1942 – 1946 Sister Dolores attended Leoville Rural High School in Kansas. She then attended Marymount in Salina, Kansas for one semester for pre-clinical classes.  In 1951, she enrolled at St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in Manhattan, Kansas, where she graduated as a Registered Nurse. In 1961, she studied at Mt. San Antonio Jr. College for an Inhalation Therapy Course.  She attended Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts from 1969 to 1972 earning a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Nursing.  Sister Dolores entered the Maryknoll Sisters on February 1, 1952, in Valley Park, Missouri from her home parish of Immaculate Conception, Salina, Kansas.    She pronounced her First Profession of Vows on September 8, 1954, in Valley Park, Missouri, and her Final Vows on September 8, 1960, in Monrovia, California.

In 1955, she received her first mission assignment to Monrovia, California, where she worked as a nurse with Tuberculosis patients.  Between the years of 1963 and 1972, Sister Dolores was back and forth between Monrovia, California, and Maryknoll, New York working at the Motherhouse in the infirmary.

In 1972, she was assigned to Yap in the Central Pacific Region working as a Supervisor for a Public Health Program at the Yap District Hospital until 1976.  She moved to the Marshal Islands in 1977 as an administrator in Community Health and Natural Family Planning until 1981.  In 1982-1991, she went home to Kansas to care for her mother. In 1991, she returned to the Central Pacific Region, this time in Hilo, Hawaii.  Here she worked at the Island Food Bank for six years before moving to Pahala, Hawaii.  In Pahala, she worked in the parish as a choir member, a lector and also attended Women’s Club meetings.  She also taught at Pahala Elementary School in the Foster Grandparents Program and worked in Special Education until 1998.  Sister Dolores moved back to Hilo, Hawaii in 1999 to 2005 working as a clerical volunteer at Huliau Okau Resource Center and as a hospice volunteer.

In 2008, Sister returned to Monrovia, California to retire, and in 2018, she came back to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY where she stayed until her death on July 14, 2023.

Funeral Services:

A Vespers Service will be held for Sister Dolores Ritter on Monday, July 24, 2023 at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Carol Hassey died on July 13, 2023 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She was 93 years old and a Maryknoll Sister for 66 years.

On June 30, 1930, Sister Carol Hassey was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Mary Theresa (Worch) and William Edward Hassey.  She had four sisters.  Three sisters, Ann, Mary, and Margaret have predeceased her. Her sister Martha and her husband Frank and nephew David survive her.

From 1944 to 1948, Sister Carol attended Holy Rosary High School in Columbus, Ohio.   She then attended Mount Carmel Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where she earned an R.N. degree in 1951.  From 1952 to 1954, she attended St. Mary of Springs earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. She entered the Maryknoll Sisters from Valley Park, Missouri, on December 30, 1956.  She pronounced her First Profession of Vows on August 8, 1959, in Valley Park, Missouri, and her Final Vows on August 22, 1965, in Bolivia.

In 1959 she received her first mission assignment at the Maryknoll Motherhouse, Maryknoll, New York to serve in the infirmary until 1960 when she went to Kansas City as a nursing and clinical instructor and nursing supervisor until her next mission assignment in 1966.  She was missioned to Riberalta and Santa Cruz in Bolivia where using her nursing skills she served in underdeveloped rural areas, supervising clinics and conducting health classes until 1974.   From 1974 through 1977, she was sent to Mineros and Montero, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where she worked as an Instructor at the School of Practical Nursing.

In 1981 Sister Carol returned to the United States for further studies at Notre Dame College, Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland earning her Master’s Degree in Psychology in 1983. In 1984 she returned to Bolivia, this time to Cochabamba where she served as the administrator of the Center House until 1987. She was at the Language Institute as a staff member and Director of the Orientation Program from 1987 to 1993.

In 1993, Sister returned to Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, New York for Congregational Services as a volunteer in Health Care, and in the Out-Patient Clinic as the Clerical Assistant.  At the Center, her kind and welcoming ways served her well as renewal coordinator from 1994-2000.

Sisters Carol had a variety of service roles–in the choir, in the Health Services Office and Treasury as a clerk, and manager of the COOP shop.  She transferred to the Chi Rho Community in 2016 and to Eden in 2020.

Funeral Services:

A Vespers Service will be held for Sister Carol Hassey on Thursday, July 20, 2023  at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday, July 21, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Lourdes Fernandez died on July 7, 2023 In Moundou, T’chad.  She was 80 years old and a Maryknoll Sister for 56 years.

Sister Lourdes Fernandez on March 27, 1943 was born in Ramon, Isabella, Philippines to Simeona (Reyno) and Primitivo Q. Fernandez.  She had four brothers and two sisters; she is survived by her brother Diosdado, and two sisters, Gloria Valdez and Nena Nacionales.

From 1954 to 1958, Sister Lourdes attended La Salette of Santiago High School in Isabela, Philippines.  In 1960, she received an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from the La Salette College of Santiago. She continued her studies at Saint Rita College, Manila, Philippines where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 1964.  She received her Master’ degree from the Maryknoll School of Theology in 1974.

Sister Lourdes entered the Maryknoll Sisters on June 26, 1967 from Manila, Philippines.  She pronounced her First Profession of Vows on June 6, 1971, in Hong Kong, Macau Region and her Final Vows on November 27, 1975 in Hong Kong.

In 1969, she received her first mission assignment to Hawaii, where she taught at St. Ann’s School in Kaneohe until 1971.  She moved to Hong Kong that same year, where she taught English and Religious Education for three years.  In 1973, Sr. Lourdes started her involvement with Worker’s Formation Program in Hongkong. She worked with the workers until 1991, including being coordinator of Asian Workers Exchange, a response to the influx of migrant workers in Hongkong.  In 1991 she came to Maryknoll, NY to do congregational services in the communications department until 1994.

In 1995 Sister Lourdes, answered a called from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) to help rebuild the Church in Eastern Europe.  This mission took her to Korce, Albania teaching at Preca College.  She moved to Pogradec, Albania where she also taught, did pastoral work and home visits.   In 2002, Sister Lourdes left Albania and returned to Maryknoll, NY to give congregational service doing mission promotion.

In 2006 she returned to Albania and taught religious studies and English at the Lambertini School in Elbasan City and later did pastoral work with the St. Vincent de Paul in Gramsh.

In 2013-2019 was appointed a member of the Congregational Vocation Team, with residence in Baguio, Philippines.     In 2022 she and six other sisters started a new community they called Presence, based in Monrovia, CA and from there, in May 2023, opened a new mission presence in Moundou, T’Chad.

Funeral Services:

A Vespers Service will be held for Sister Lourdes on July 14, 2023 at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Moundou, T’Chad

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on July 15, 2023 at 12:30  P.M. local time at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Moundou, T’Chad.