Current Ministry Location: Maryknoll Sisters Center – Maryknoll, NY
Sister Loretta Frank was born in Dickinson, North Dakota and entered Maryknoll on December 30th, 1956 from St. Pius Parish of St. Pius (Sheffield, ND).
She received her first foreign assignment in 1963 to Japan where she studied the language and taught English until 1965. From 1965 – 1970, Sister Loretta did parish work and taught English in Tsu, Hikone and Muroran. She then went to Tokyo, where she earned a B.A. in Far East Asian Studies and an M.A. in the same field, this time with a specialization in sociology.
While residing in Kichijoji, Sister Loretta worked at the National Catholic Committee, as assistant editor of the Tosei News, an international bilingual publication, from 1974 – 1977. During this period, she assisted at several Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) in Asia and was involved in various social justice activities in the Tokyo area. Then she returned to the Maryknoll Center to work for several years in Computer Services.
In 1981 she returned to Japan and began teaching English as a Second Language at Rissho College. In addition she did editorial work for Oriens Institute for Religious Research, both in Tokyo, until 1983. Sister Loretta later returned to Sophia University where she taught English as a Second Language and was involved with its student ministry from 1983 – 1990. In 1990, she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in NY to work in the Congregational Leadership Team (CLT) Secretariat.
In 1995, Sister Loretta returned to Japan and moved to Kyoto where she taught ESL at Notre Dame Women’s College until 2004, simultaneously she served as bookkeeper for the Maryknoll Sisters Regional office from 1995 – 2008, and gave private English classes from 2004 – 2008.
Sister Loretta Frank returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in 2008. Her service there involved working in Congregational Services, where she assisted its Rogers Community Sisters and their coordinators, until her retirement in 2019. She continued doing various volunteer activities within the Center. However, her beloved Japan from which she learned so much over her more than 40 years of mission service, is never far from her heart and prayers.