Maryknoll Sisters

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Mary Annel, M.M. died on April 14^th, 2024 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She was 84 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 66 years.

On December 6^th, 1939, Mary Virginia Annel was born in Chicago, IL to George Annel and Iola Grelck Annel.  She had two sisters; all of whom have predeceased her.

From 1953 – 1957, Mary attended Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst, IL.   She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree, Pre-med from the College of Mt. St. Vincent in 1967 in New York City.  In 1971, she received her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI.   She attended the University of Southern California (USC) Medical Complex, in a rotating internship program from 1971-1972. She then attended Tulane University in New Orleans, LA where she earned a M.A. in Public Health and Tropical Medicine in 1973.

Mary entered the Maryknoll Sisters in Valley Park, MO on December 30^th, 1957 (from her home parish in St. Domitilla in Hillside, IL).  She pronounced her First Profession of Vows on August 22^nd, 1960 in Valley Park, MO and her Final Vows on August 22^nd, 1966 also in Valley Park, MO.

In 1973, Sister Mary received her first mission assignment to the Mexico-Guatemala Region. After studying the language in Cuernavaca, Mexico she was assigned to Jacaltenango, Huehuetenango, Guatemala working in the Diocesan Hospital and coordinating public health programs until 1988.

On June 15^th, 1981 Sister Mary received the George O. Tolbert International Health Award. This award recognizes attributes of compassion, generosity, service, sensitivity, love and concern for others, and the pursuance of excellence.

From 1988-1991, Sister Mary engaged in mission education in the Midwest U.S.

In 1992, she led an investigation and analysis of data from the Maryknollers’ worldwide HIV & AIDS ministry resulting in a document: Worldwide Trends in AIDS and Recommendations for future Maryknoll Sisters’ AIDS Ministry.

Sister Mary then was assigned to El Salvador in 1993 and became the impulse behind the Catholic Church’s commitment to the HIV & AIDS ministry. She initiated the Archdiocesan Aids team, which evolved into an NGO and named the Salvadoran Foundation for the Fight Against AIDS Maria Lorena, which she cofounded with Sr. Lorraine Beinkafner.  It is credited with stemming the spread of HIV and AIDS in the country. Familiarly known as ContraSIDA (Against AIDS).

In 2005, Sister Mary was presented with the National Catholic HIV/AIDS Network’s Lumina Award for her work in El Salvador.

In 2011, she was the recipient of The Medical College of Wisconsin’s Humanitarian Award and cited healthier rural communities as her most significant success.

In 2018, Sister Mary returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to retire. In 2019 she was transferred to the Maryknoll Sisters Home Care Unit until her death.

Funeral Services:

A Vespers Service was held for Sister Mary Annel on Tuesday, April 23^rd, 2024 at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.

 A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Wednesday, April 24^th, 2024 at 10:00 A.M. at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Margaret Sehlstedt, M.M. died on April 14^th, 2024 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She was 98 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 80 years.

Margaret Sehlstedt was born on March 21^st, 1926 in Baltimore, MD to Elizabeth (Renehan) Sehlstedt and Albert Sehlstedt.  She had one brother, Albert and two sisters, Betty and Nancy; all of whom have predeceased her.

Margaret attended Mt. de Sales High School in Baltimore from 1940-1944.   She then earned her Bachelors of Education Degree from Maryknoll Teachers College in Maryknoll, NY in 1950.  She continued her studies learning the Japanese Language at the Yale Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Connecticut for one year. From 1951-1952, she spent time in Japan to further learn the language with Japanese teachers. During this time, she also taught English part-time in Kyoto, Japan.

Margaret entered the Maryknoll Sisters in Maryknoll, NY on September 6^th, 1944 (from her home parish of St. Mark’s in Catonsville, MD).  She pronounced her First Profession of Vows on March 7^th, 1947 and her Final Vows on March 7^th, 1950 both at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY.

For ten years from 1954-1964, Sister Margaret ministered in several parishes in Japan: Saiin, Tsu and Nagahama, before moving to the northernmost Province of Hokkaido at Muroran.  Her ministry involved her working with the women in these parishes.  In 1971, she moved to Tokyo to teach English at Sophia, the Jesuit University for one year before returning to New York to promote mission education in schools and churches for the next three years. Returning to Japan in 1975, Sister Margaret offered English Language courses, did religious work at the parish and diocesan levels, and volunteered at Kibo No Ie (Hope House) for the homeless.

Sister Margaret returned to the U.S. to take a course in Clinical Pastoral Education in Central Islip, NY and completed her training with a certificate in 1982.  She then stayed at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY for three years helping in the nursing home.  In 1988, Sister Margaret was assigned to the Eastern U.S. Region working in Cincinnati, OH as Chaplain at the Providence Hospital starting full-time then as a part-time volunteer from 1997-2000.

In 2012, Sister Margaret returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to retire where she remained until her death.

Funeral Services:

A Vespers Service was held for Sister Margaret Sehlstedt on Wednesday, April 17^th, 2024 at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Thursday, April 18^th, 2024 at 10:00 A.M. at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Anne Correale, M.M. died on April 4^th, 2024 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She was 93 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 76 years.

On September 27^th, 1930, Anne Veronica Correale was born in Troy, NY to Lillian (Kelly) Correale and Leo J. Correale.  She had one brother, Robert, one sister, Claire, a half-sister, Deborah and a half-brother, Peter. Her sister Claire, sister in law Jeanne, half-sister Deborah, half-brother Peter and her husband Arthur survive her.  Her brother Robert has predeceased her.

From 1944-1948, Anne attended Catholic Central High School in Troy, NY.   She earned her Bachelor of Education Degree from the Maryknoll Teachers’ College in 1954. She then attended the University of Hawaii, receiving her Practical Nursing Certificate in 1974.  Anne entered the Maryknoll Sisters on September 4^th, 1948 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY (from her home parish, St. Patrick in Troy, NY in the Diocese of Albany, NY).  She pronounced her First Profession of Vows on March 7^th, 1951 and her Final Vows on March 7^th, 1954 both at the Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY.

In 1954, Sister Anne received her first mission assignment to Kalihi, Hawaii where she served as a fourth grade teacher.  She stayed in Hawaii teaching grades two through six until 1971.  In 1972, she returned to the Maryknoll Sister Center, Maryknoll, NY for Congregational Services in the Housekeeping Department for one year. She then returned to Hawaii to utilize her medical skills at St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu, for the next two years. In 1976, she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to work in healthcare at the Bethany Mariandale, Home Nursing and Family Planning until 1982. She was assigned to Bandung, Indonesia in 1982-1989 working as an outreach nurse at St. Joseph, a hospital for the poor.

From 1989-1993, Sister Anne once again did Congregational Services at the Sisters Center where she worked as Mail Desk Supervisor in the Treasury Department.  She was then assigned to Bangladesh in 1994 and studied the language and culture until 1996.  In 1997, Sister Anne once again returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY for Congregational Services in the Support Services Department and as Photo Librarian in the Communications/Development Department until 2005.

In 2006, Sister Anne fully retired at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.

Funeral Services:

A Vespers Service will be held for Sister Anne on Wednesday, April 10^th, 2024 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 Thursday, April 11^th, 2024 at 10:00 A.M. at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Jeanne Houlihan, M.M. died on Tuesday, March 26^th, 2024 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She was 93 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 72 years.

On February 11^th, 1931 Sister Jeanne was born in St. Louis, MO to Catherine R. (Dondon) Houlihan and Joseph P. Houlihan.  She had three brothers and five sisters; all of whom have predeceased her.

From 1945-1949, Sister Jeanne attended St. Josephs Academy High School in St. Louis, MO.   She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Dietetics from Fontbonne College in 1952 also in St. Louis.   Sister Jeanne then attended St. Louis University earning her Masters of Education in Administration in 1972.  She entered the Maryknoll Sisters Congregation in Maryknoll, New York on September 2^nd, 1952 from her home parish (St. Monica in Creve Coeur, MO) in the St. Louis Diocese.  She pronounced her First Profession of Vows on March 7^th, 1955 in Maryknoll, NY and her Final Vows on March 7^th, 1961 in Hong Kong.

In 1955, Sister Jeanne received her first overseas mission assignment to Hong Kong. After studying the Chinese Language at the University of Hong Kong, she started to teach religion and home economics at the Maryknoll Convent School.  She dedicated 23 years (1968-1991) at the Maryknoll Convent School serving as Principal, Supervisor, and Chairperson of the secondary schools consecutively. She also served as Biblical Knowledge Examination Coordinator.

In 1991, she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY for Congregational Services as Director of the Development Department until 2001.  In 2002, she returned to Hong Kong once again to serve as English Teacher at the Maryknoll Convent School where she spent another nine years until 2011.

In 2012, Sister Jeanne returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to semi-retire, volunteering in the Development Department until her full retirement in 2022.  Sister Jeanne was assigned to the Maryknoll Sisters Home Care Unit, at the Sisters Center until her passing on March 26^th, 2024.

Funeral Services:

A Vespers Service will be held for Sister Jeanne on Thursday, April 4^th, 2024 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 Friday, April 5^th, 2024 at 10:00 A.M. at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Nancy Thomas,M.M. died on Sunday, March 3, 2024 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She was 96 years old and a Maryknoll Sister for 77 years.

On November 8, 1927, Nancy R. Thomas was born in Washington, DC to Wilhelmenia F. Vogts and Ignatius G. Thomas.  She had one brother, Norbourn and one sister, Mary Clare; all have predeceased her.

From 1941 to 1945, Sister Nancy attended Mount Saint Agnes High School in Baltimore, Maryland.   She earned an Associate of Arts Degree at Mount Saint Agnes Junior College in 1947 in Baltimore, Maryland.  She then attended Maryknoll Teachers College (Rogers College) from 1949 to 1952 in Maryknoll, New York, and earned her Bachelor of Education Degree.

She entered the Maryknoll Sisters at Valley Park, Missouri on October 30, 1947, from her home parish of Shrine of Sacred Heart in Baltimore.  She pronounced her First Profession of Vows on May 8, 1950, in Valley Park, Missouri, and her Final Vows on May 8, 1953, in Hawaii.

In 1952, she received her first mission assignment as a Primary School Teacher in Kaneohe, moving to Punahou in 1954, and Waikiki in 1959 for different grade levels in each area until 1968.  From 1968 to 1972, she was the Principal of the Elementary School in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Sister returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, New York in 1972 for Congregational Services in the Development Department as Promotion Director until 1975.  She was assigned to Riberalta, Bolivia for one year in 1975 as a staff member of the Rural Pastoral Institute in the Pando Vicariate.  From 1977 to 1979 she continued doing pastoral work in the Cristo Rey Parish in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

In 1980, Sister moved to the Western United States Region in Seattle, Washington for her next assignment.  There she was a Receptionist and then an Assistant Activity Director in a nursing home until 1981.  She moved to Gilroy, California in 1981 until 2022.  During this period, she held various positions and titles, as part of the Western US Region. She was Director of Religious Education; she volunteered as Rape Crisis Advocate with NextDoor Solutions; a member of Women in Black, an international group that protests against violence and war; a volunteer at Emergency Housing Consortium Homeless Shelters; an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence, and a member of the informal task force for building transitional shelters.

Sister Nancy served on the Regional Governing Board for the Western US Region in Finance and Planning from 1983 to 1987, and in Personnel and Finance from 1990 to 2002. In 2005, she was on the Leadership Team for the Western US Region.

In 2022, Sister returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to retire until her passing on March 3, 2024.

Funeral Services:

A Vespers Service will be held for Sister Nancy Thomas on Thursday, March 7, 2024, 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 Friday, March 8, 2024, at 10:00 A.M. at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.