Age 94
Sister Ellen fully lived her motto, “Where charity and love are, there God is.”
Born in 1929 in Meelick, Swinford, Co. Mayo, Ireland, Ellen entered the Sisters of Mercy in Auburn, California, at the age of 20. She received a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in counseling from the University of San Francisco in San Francisco, California,
A gifted and dedicated educator, she taught elementary and secondary school for 38 years in the Diocese of Sacramento, California. Recognizing that the spirit was drawing persons to use their talents for the benefit of God’s people, Ellen turned her energies to parish religious education. Her zeal prompted her to simultaneously serve as religious education coordinator at both St. Joseph, North Sacramento and St. Dominic’s Colfax, California. Each week she would drive the 50 miles trip from Sacramento to Colfax to make sure the children were receiving a quality education in faith.
Sister Ellen brought that same commitment and dedication to her life as a Sister of Mercy. She encouraged her students to consider religious life by arranging “live in” experiences at the novitiate. After her retirement due to diminished sight, she remained fully engaged in the life of the Institute and society, keeping up with world news, local issues and community events. She saw her life as a life for others and spent her time offering prayer for those in need.