Sister Madeleine Giusto, Maryknoll Sister for 51 Years Dies

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Madeleine Giusto, M.M. died on March 30th, 2020 at Phelps Memorial Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, NY. She was 79 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 51 years.

Madeleine was born on May 27th, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois to Margaret (Pinscak) Giusto and Thomas Giusto. She had three brothers and four sisters. She is survived by her brother Donald Giusto and her sisters, Diane Winans and Jacqueline Maslow.

From 1954-1958, Madeleine attended high school at St. Louis Academy in Chicago, IL. Following graduation, she enrolled in Roseland Community Hospital School for Nurses in Chicago, IL. In 1961, she earned her Registered Nurse Diploma and worked at the Hospital School until 1962.  She then moved to Reno, NV and worked at the Washoe Medical Center until 1968.

On September 7th, 1968 Madeleine entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in St. Louis, MO (from St. Thomas Parish, Reno, NV).  She received her first overseas mission assignment to South Korea during her second year of Formation as a Maryknoll Sister. While in South Korea, she made her First Profession of Vows on July 16th, 1971 as well as her Final Profession of Vows on July 27th, 1975. Sister Madeleine’s first mission assignment in South Korea was in Jeung Pyong, there she served as a clinic nurse and ministered to the poor/sick. She also acted as interpreter and English conversation teacher.

In 1972, Sister Madeleine returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She served as Staff Nurse at Bethany House (the Maryknoll Sisters Nursing Home at the time) from 1973 – 1974. In 1975, she returned to Seoul, South Korea to resume her studies of the Korean language. While she was studying, she also worked as a Public Health Nurse at Samyul in Kyung Saang, Puk Do and served as a member of a Community Health Team until 1978.  That same year, she moved to So Rok Do to care for patients with Hansen Disease until 1984. She then returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to serve another term as Staff Nurse in the Sisters Nursing Home. In February of that year, she once again returned to Kwangju, South Korea where she was involved in a student ministry until 1988.

From 1988-1992, Sister Madeleine was called back to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY serving as Staff Nurse in the Sisters Nursing Home. She was then assigned to the Maryknoll Mission Education Department’s Mid-West area from 1992-1994.  After that, she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to serve as Staff Nurse for one year in the Sisters nursing Home.

On February 1st, 1997 Sister Madeleine returned to Kwangju, South Korea for the final time to serve as a visiting nurse until 2000. She also taught English classes to university students and did volunteer work at St. John of God Clinic and Hospice Program.

In 2001, she returned to the Sisters Center where she engaged in Congregational Support Services and in the Outpatient Clinic until 2002. She was then appointed as Hospitality Coordinator of the Maryknoll Sisters Mission Institute.

Sister Madeleine retired in 2004 at the Maryknoll Sisters House in Monrovia, CA, but still remained an active volunteer. She became involved in several different volunteer projects: working with the Blind community in Los Angeles; participating in community service in the Monrovia Civic Communities; and working at Santa Anita Family Service Center.

On December 1st, 2015 she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY where she joined the Chi Rho Community of semi-retired Sisters.

Funeral Services: Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, funeral services will be scheduled for a date in the future when group gatherings are deemed safe. Sister Madeleine’s family and our community remember her soul in prayer during this difficult time.