Sister Ann Mallmann, MM
Born: December 18, 1931
Entered: September 2, 1959
Died: September 15, 2025
Our sister, Theresa Ann Mallmann, went home to God on September 15, 2025, the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. There is a touching correspondence here as Ann intentionally shaped her life with motherly compassion, attuned to the heartache and suffering of others.
Ann, as we came to know her in recent years, was born on December 18, 1931, in Detroit, Michigan. She was the fifth and last child of Louis Anthony Mallman and Josephine Quaiatto Mallman. Her parents and siblings have predeceased her.
After graduating from St. Bernard’s High School in 1949, Ann worked for three years to earn the money to study nursing at Mt. Carmel School of Nursing at Mercy Hospital, Detroit. She completed her studies and became a registered nurse in 1956. Later, she earned a bachelor’s degree in science in nursing at Pace University.
Ann entered the Maryknoll Sisters, at Maryknoll, New York on September 2, 1959, and made her first profession of vows on June 24, 1962. She received the name Sister John Anthony.
She was assigned to the Taiwan Region in 1963, where she made her final profession in 1968. She remained in Taiwan until 1972, enthusiastically tackling very demanding work among the Chinese and Aboriginal People in Wu-She, Nantou, Hsien, a remote and isolated mountainous area. She organized a clinic, gave pastoral care and even set up a kindergarten for children.
It was during this period that Ann was exposed to the indigenous people’s knowledge and practice of healing rooted in their accumulated experience of the Earth’s natural therapeutic and restorative powers. In other words, even as Ann shared her knowledge of Western Medicine, she learned to deeply respect the traditional curative ways of the people with the result that the scope of her healing knowledge was vastly increased. Ever after, her ministry was impacted by this new horizon.
However, as so often happens in life, a foil entered Ann’s life. Parasitic dysentery debilitated her completely, leaving her sapped of strength physically and psychologically drained.
At this time, a group of native sisters took over the mission among the mountain people and Ann, who needed rest, returned to New York on an extended furlough to recover her health and update her studies.
Later, after giving service at the Sisters Center and studying, Ann decided to remain in the U.S. and applied for membership in the Eastern Region.
While working in New York City, Ann met a sister who was a member of the Sinsinawa Dominicans, Sister Virginia Helmann, OP, a beautiful sensitive soul, an educator and holistic health minister. Ann and Virginia easily bonded, complementing each other in ministry preparation and values. They decided to form a team. Together they responded to an invitation to work with the Sinsinawa Dominicans at their Mother House, in Wisconsin, serving as holistic health educators and therapists. They also responded to regular requests for help regarding alternative healing measures from neighboring communities, including Wisconsin Native American communities.
Ann and Virginia worked year after year in this ministry until Covid struck in late 2020, cancelling all interpersonal contact.
During this time of Covid isolation, in early 2021, Ann, alone, made her way to the sisters’ chapel where her soul always found nourishment. As she left this holy space, she fell and was seriously injured. As it turned out, this pilgrimage to the Chapel was the last journey that Ann made freely and independently.
In April of 2021, with the help of a medical flight and ambulance service, Ann was brought home to Maryknoll and assigned to the Eden Community.
Her dear friend Virginia Helmann, although in failing health, telephoned her regularly. Then, in April of this year, Virginia preceded Ann in her final journey.
May these two creative and visionary sisters rest in joy and in peace!
Today, we are happy to welcome Ann’s sister-in-law Juanita Mallmann.
Our presider is Maryknoll Father David La Buda.