Age 94
When her mother died, she left 10-year-old Pauline Swint the responsibilities of homemaking and caring for her five brothers. Her father was the groundskeeper of Our Lady of the Pines Retreat Center in Fremont, Ohio, and the family lived on the property, where Pauline was introduced to the Sisters of Mercy at an early age.
A Sister of Mercy for 76 years, she earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the Athenaeum in Cincinnati and a master’s from Marygrove College in Detroit. She ministered for 18 years as a teacher for grades 2 through 8 in Mansfield and Toledo, Ohio. At recess, Sister Pauline would join the playground games as both player and referee. She also served as a principal for 13 years.
Later, Sister Pauline ministered in pastoral care at St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima, Ohio. In 1983 she returned to Fremont, where she was the plant manager at Our Lady of the Pines and was involved in administrative duties for the retreat center.
Besides her ministries, her favorite thing in the world was Notre Dame football. She traveled to South Bend, Indiana, a number of times for home games, no matter the weather, and never missed a game on television.