Sister St. Catherine Carter, MM

Born: January 18, 1898
Entered: October 15, 1928
Died: September 23, 1968

The evening of September 23rd, we received word from Guadalupe, California, telling us of the death there of our Sister Mary Catherine (M. St. Catherine) Carter. Sister had been critically ill for the past two weeks, and so we were not surprised to learn that God had called her to eternity. It was typical of Sister that she worked among the people of Guadalupe up to the end, and that it was her hope to be buried among them.

Sister Mary Catherine Carter was born in Reading, Ohio, January 18, 1898. She entered Maryknoll in October, 1928, from Cincinnati, where her family had resided for many years. After Final Profession, January 6, 1934, Sister went to the Venard where, for some years, she was assistant Superior. As a bookkeeper by training and experience, she assisted the Maryknoil Fathers, and in between, she took Catholic University Extension Courses in Scripture, Apologetics, Psychology and Theology. Sister had a special interest in teaching religion to young people, so when a new mission was opened in Stockton, California, in 1945, she went out as one of the pioneer group, to initiate a Release Time CCD Program. This was the beginning of twenty—three years of zealous apostolic work in the catechetical field — nine of those years in Stockton, and fourteen in Guadalupe. It was in 1954 that Sister took up her apostolate among the Mexican people in Guadalupe, serving them as religion teacher and devoted family visitor.

In 1955, Sister underwent treatment for an illness and made an excellent recovery. She suffered no recurrence of that illness until the fall of 1967. Sister’s indomitable spirit and deep sense of dedication to the people of the town, who depended on her for so much, seemed to give her the strength to continue on for another few months. She spoke gratefully during this time, of the joy she had always known in her apostolate, and she looked forward with peace and trust to going home to God whenever He might call her. The end came the morning of September 23rd.

The funeral Mass was held at 7:30 in the evening, Tuesday the 24th, in the parish church of Guadalupe, and Sister was buried the afternoon of the 25th in Holy Cross Cemetery in Los Angeles. I know that you will join us in offering the prescribed prayers for Sister Mary Catherine Carter who, over the years, devoted herself so completely to the Maryknoll community she shared with us.