Sister Jane Heckathorn, MM

Born: August 2, 1936
Entered: October 18, 1963
Died: November 10, 2025

As the last pink rays of a winter sunset exploded across the sky, Sr. Jane Heckathorn drew her last breath at 8:00 PM on November 10, 2025 in our Maryknoll Sisters Home Care. Jane was 89 years old and was a Maryknoll Sister for 62 years. Jane had a hard time these past weeks, and her death brought her peace In God’s presence and love.

Marie Jane was born August 2, 1936, to Leonard T. and Lavina Kranz Heckathorn in Watertown, South Dakota; she had 2 sisters and 1 brother, both of whom have predeceased her. She attended Immaculate Conception School from 1942-51 and graduated from Watertown High School in 1954. Jane received her certificate as an X-Ray technician in 1957 from Minneapolis General Hospital, a program of the University of Minnesota. Jane returned to South Dakota and worked as an x-ray technician for seven years becoming the head technician there before entering Maryknoll.

Jane entered the Maryknoll Sisters Congregation in Valley Park, MO, on October 18, 1963 along with 61 other candidates. Jane had a great sense of humor and often entertained her sister novices with her many stories. She was also an accomplished bridge player and taught many others in her group to play. She pronounced first vows on June 24, 1966 at Maryknoll, NY, and final vows on April 9, 1975 in the Philippines.

Jane was assigned to the Philippines in 1966. Once there, she helped out in various health services in Manila and in Cotabato in the southern island of Mindanao. In 1972, she completed a BS degree in Social Work from the Centro Escolar University in Manila to prepare to do social and community development work in Upi, Maguindanao also in Mindanao with a diverse population of Muslims, Christians and native tribes. Working in the mountains with the Tiruray tribe, she trained teachers and helped organize educational programs in agriculture, medicine and child care. During a time of violence, her work became mainly the resettlement and maintenance of the many displaced persons. During this time, she also worked at the Notre Dame Clinic in Dulawan, Maguindanao doing outreach health care for women’s groups in nutrition, child care and hygiene. She helped organize a team who were able to take over this work when Jane moved on.

In June 1974, she started teaching at Notre Dame High School in Cotabato, but had to stop after only a month as conflict between government and anti-government forces erupted. Jane was acting principal of the Notre Dame Elementary Schools in Cotabato on November 1974 to March 1975 and again for the 1977-1978 school year. She was acting treasurer of the schools on June 1975 – February 1976. She also provided In-service training and professional development to teachers and reactivated the Parents Teacher Associations while she was at Notre Dame Schools. At the same time, she continued her pastoral work at the parish. There was an earth-quake in the area, and Jane helped to develop rehabilitation and self-help programs for victims of the earthquake and subsequent tidal wave. Her social work experience and extraordinary organizational skills served her and the people well in these hard times.

In 1978, she returned to South Dakota to be with her father who had lung cancer.

In the United States in 1979, Jane worked for four years on a team of Maryknoll Sisters in Mission Education and World Awareness Programs in the schools and churches of the Western U.S. In 1984, Sister Jane was assigned to the Western U.S. Region. She accepted the job of executive producer of “Video Edition,” a weekly television news magazine of the Oakland diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Voice. It was a source of ethical analysis of current events and issues. Sister Jane received both state and national awards for the quality of her programs. Video Edition aired its final program in 1987 due to lack of funds.

From 1988 until 1994, Sister Jane found a wonderful ministry in Oakland as a social worker and counselor in Casa Vicentia, a home for single pregnant women in crisis, and was Editor-in-Chief of “Casa Communique,” their quarterly newsletter. She also served as Assistant Director at Casa Vicentia.

In 1995, Jane was in family ministry for year, and in 1996 returned to Oakland, CA to work at various commercial jobs and offices.

In 2001, Jane joined the administrative staff of Sophia Institute, a graduate program in Culture and Spirituality at Holy Names University. In 2003, Jane wrote of her work there saying: “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these”. (from a saying of George W. Carver.)

In a letter in 2003 Jane wrote, “At Sophia Center I’m learning about a wonderful Planet, currently enduring so much pain, and yet, thank God, hope seems to be oozing out beyond every wound and struggle. I suspect the Spirit is up to something that we humans only vaguely grasp in this time of creative but painful chaos”.

That same year, Rose Marie Cecchini wrote: “It was such a joy and a delight to be with Jane H. and witness what a vital ministry she has at the Sophia Center, communicating with all who enroll for programs and adding her unique gifts and talents, of spirit, heart and life to enrich the staff as well.”

In 2011, Sister Jane retired continuing to reside in the Maryknoll Sisters’ Western Region in California; she was a companion and helper of Alma M. Rose until Alma passed away. In January 2022, Jane returned to Maryknoll and was assigned to the Chi Rho community until transferring to the Eden community in February 2025. We express our deepest thanks to all of the nurses and aides in our Home care area for their loving care for Jane during her years there.

We welcome our Maryknoll brother, Fr. John Lange who will preside over our celebration of the life of Sister Jane Heckathorn this morning.