Adele Catherine was born in Boston, MA, June 23, 1922 to Katharine Zaltauskos Razwad and George J. Razwad. She had one brother, Alphonse J. and three sisters, Blanche, Frances and Martha. Her parents, brother and two sisters, Blanche and Martha have predeceased her.
Adele graduated from St. Augustine High School, Boston, MA in 1940. She attended Boston Clerical Business School from 1940 – 1942 and worked at the Office of Price Administration, Boston, MA for 2 years. In 1945, she took a course in Applied Psychology at Harvard University. She entered the Maryknoll Sisters Congregation from St. Peter’s Parish in the Archdiocese of Boston on September 6, 1945 at the Maryknoll Sisters Motherhouse in Ossining, NY. At her reception, she received the religious name Sister M. Katharine George. During 1947 – 1951, Sister Katharine studied at Maryknoll Teachers College where she earned a Bachelor of Education. She made her first Profession of Vows on March 7, 1948 at Maryknoll and taught during 1950 -1952 at Transfiguration Elementary School in Chinatown, New York. She made her final Profession of Vows on March 7, 1951 at the Maryknoll Sisters Motherhouse.
She was assigned to the Philippine Region in 1952 and sent to the island of Koror, Palau, Caroline Islands, where she taught grades 4 – 9 in Maris Stella School. In 1956 she moved to Manila, and taught grade 4 and catechetics at Maryknoll College while attending college courses. She was reassigned to Koror and to Maris Stella School in 1957 as principal where she remained until 1963. In 1964 she joined the staff of Lasalette College in Ilocus Sur and one year later, she was asked to serve as principal in the high school in Santiago, Isabela. She returned to Koror once again and to Mindszenty High School until 1969.
In 1970, Sister Katharine returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Ossining, NY and studied at Boston College from 1970 to 1972, earning a Master’s in Education in Counseling /Psychology. In 1973 she was assigned to the Maryknoll Sisters’ Eastern U.S. Region and worked in Boston in a volunteer program as a counselor until 1975. In that same year, she enrolled in Boston College for a postgraduate course in “Career Development”. During 1976 -1977, she worked in Boston Public Schools doing preventive counseling at the Elementary Level. In 1978, she moved to Condon Public School again in the same counseling program for six years. In 1984, she worked as a substitute teacher in the Boston Public School System until her retirement in 1995. She has been on full time “Family Ministry” since 1996.
A Vespers service will be held for Sister Katharine, March 9 at 4:15 p.m. in the Main Chapel at Maryknoll Sisters Center. A funeral Mass will follow on March 10 at 11:00 a.m. also in the Main Chapel at the Center. Interment will follow in the Maryknoll Sisters Cemetery on the Center grounds.