Sister Eleanor Killion
Current Ministry Location: Hawaii
Sister Eleanor was born in Easton, Minnesota on April 18th, 1933 to Rose Killion and Louis Killion; she had two brothers and one sister. In 1951, she graduated from Good Counsel Academy in Mankato, MN.
She entered the Congregation at the Novitiate in Valley Park, Missouri on February 1st, 1952. She pronounced First Vows September 8th, 1954 in Valley Park and Final Vows September 8th, 1960 in Bolivia. Sister Eleanor also earned a Bachelor of Education Degree from Rogers College located on the property of the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY in 1958.
Her first mission assignment was to the Bolivia/Peru Region. She first served in Lima, Peru as a teacher, then in Montero and Cochabamba, Bolivia as principal/supervisor. For the next 14 years, Riberalta became her home. There she served in school administration, pastoral work and leadership and teacher training. Sister Eleanor had the joy of turning over the Maryknoll founded school to a local Bolivian.
In 1987, with two other Maryknoll Sisters, Sister Eleanor began a new mission project in Las Mañanitas on the outskirts of Panama City. Their days were filled with pastoral work with all age groups preparing catechists, liturgies, and bible study.
From 1982 – 1987, Sister Eleanor’s served as Secretary to the Maryknoll Sisters Leadership Team at the Sisters Center.
In 1997, Sister Eleanor began a new assignment in Hawaii, Central Pacific Region. She experienced and appreciated Hawaii’s multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural community and had the opportunity to minister to the Hispanic community in Honolulu and Pahala on the Big Island. The immigrants were from different countries, and some hadn’t participated in a parish or sent children for religious instruction. Sister Eleanor offered Religious Education at all levels. She has also tutored elementary and high school students, and served as an Office Assistant for the Maryknoll Sisters Region.
Today she is still on mission in Hawaii.