Rosemary Sheehan, 91, Nun, Nurse, Educator, Actively Served Students and the Poor

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Sister Rosemary E. Sheehan, RSCJ, a Religious of the Sacred Heart, died on June 20. She was 91.

Rosemary Sheehan obituary 06-25-17

Sister Rosemary Sheehan, 91, died on June 20. Her funeral was on June 24.

She was born on May 26, 1926 in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Dr. George A. Sheehan and Mrs. Loretta Ennis Sheehan. Affectionately known from college days as “Wickie,” she was the middle of 14 children.

She attended St. Saviour High School in Brooklyn, New York graduating in 1943. She enrolled at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y. and in 1948 completed a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Following graduation, she entered the Society of the Sacred Heart in September 1948 at Kenwood, in Albany, N.Y. She took First Vows in 1951 at Kenwood and made her Final Profession in Rome in 1957.

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an obituary from Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home

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Wickie’s ministerial career began in 1951 at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Rochester, N.Y., where she was a teacher and mistress of health.

From 1953 to 1956 she worked at the Convent of the Sacred Heart at Long Neck Point in Noroton, where she taught and worked in the infirmary and served as dormitory mistress.

Following Final Vows in Rome in 1957, Sr. Sheehan returned to Manhattanville College for seven years as the director of the college infirmary and mistress of health.

She then moved to the Convent of the Sacred Heart at Kenwood, where she was a member of the faculty. In 1965 Sr. Sheehan began her almost 50 years of ministry at Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, 22 years of which she served as head of the Upper School during the turbulent times of the 1960s to the 1980s.

Generations of alumnae were touched by her wisdom, fidelity to them and their lives and willingness to help them through times of joy and sorrow.

During this time, she founded and directed a summer tutorial camp at the school for inner-city children, which lasts to this day, serving 300 elementary school children.

In 1988 she worked as director of campus ministry and community service at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart.

She continued her efforts to bring the girls to serve among the poor and worked with a program at Martin House in Trenton, N.J. There she worked with a team of other adults and a committee of 19 students planning and coordinating the work of community service and liturgy.

In 1991, she returned to Greenwich, where she continued her work as director of outreach, fostering the school’s commitment to the Carver Center in Port Chester, N.Y. where she also served on the governing board.

For over 25 years, Head Start children came to the campus every Tuesday to be enriched by a faithful group of alumnae, parents of students and parents of past students.

In conjunction with her work in the schools, Sr. Sheehan served on the Board of Trustees of the Convent of the Sacred Heart, at 91st Street (from 1978 to 1982); and Stuart Country Day Board of Trustees (1978 to 1982). She also served as a provincial chapter delegate and member of the Steering Committee (1981-1982).

From 1978 to 1982 Sr. Sheehan was chairman of the Provincial Advisory Council. She was also a member of the steering committee of the NCOG [Network Commission on Goals] evaluation in Greenwich in 1982 and the Bishop of Bridgeport Committee on Human Rights from 1967 to 1970.

Sr. Sheehan’s death was unexpected. She was recovering from a fall for the past month and nurses and caretakers marveled at her preferring to praise and gratefully accept their care rather than draw attention to herself.

She was hospitalized with pneumonia two days before she died on June 20. Before this, she was active in her community and deeply appreciated by everyone who touched her life.

A funeral Mass was held at 2 p.m., Saturday, June 24 at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich. Burial was at Kenwood Cemetery.

She is survived by her sister, Elizabeth Sheehan and her brother, Michael Sheehan; by 84 nieces and nephews; and by devoted alumnae, colleagues, friends and her religious sisters worldwide in the Society of the Sacred Heart.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the Society of the Sacred Heart, 4120 Forest Park Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63108 or Convent of the Sacred Heart, 1177 King St., Greenwich, CT 06831 for the Rosemary Sheehan, RSCJ Endowment for Summer Program.

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