Sister Catherine Owens, SNDdeN

Sister Catherine Owens, 102, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 85 years, died Monday, October 2, 2023 at the Notre Dame Long Term Care Center, Worcester

Sister Catherine was born in Lowell, as Mary Owens, daughter of Patrick J. and Catherine (McCarthy) Owens, and graduated from the Academy of Notre Dame, Tyngsboro. She entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1938.  She received her bachelor’s degree from Emmanuel College in 1954. Sister received her master’s in Education from Boston University in 1961 and her master’s in Theology from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana in 1969.

Sister Catherine was a teacher in several Notre Dame affiliated schools in the greater Boston area including Notre Dame Academy, Boston, St. Augustine School, Boston, Notre Dame Academy, Roxbury, St. James School, Salem and Notre Dame Academy Tyngsboro.  She was principal at St. Gregory School in Dorchester and at Notre Dame Academy in Hingham. Sister then went on to be Director of Religious Education at St. Mary’s Parish in Chelmsford, Director of Ministries for the Sisters of Notre Dame Ipswich Province, a member of the Ipswich Province Administrative Council, and Director of Religious Education for St. Michael’s Parish in Exeter, N.H.  In 1988, Sister became the President of the Sisters of Notre Dame Training School in Ipswich. She helped train 330 Sisters in the United States and 12 located internationally.

Sister Catherine leaves cousins and her sisters in religion, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.  

Sister Catherine’s funeral will be held Monday, October 9, in the Notre Dame du Lac Chapel, 555 Plantation St., Worcester, with a visitation period at 1 p.m., and a sharing of memories at 1:30 p.m. followed by a Mass at 2 p.m.  Burial will be will be in Notre Dame Cemetery, Ipswich at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, 351 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149. 

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