Submitted by: Dan Rich
Sister M. John Berchmans Downey CSC
May 24, 1901 – Nov. 18, 1982
South Bend Tribune 11/19/1982
Sister M. John Berchmans CSC, 81, of
Saint Mary’s Convent, Notre Dame, died at 11:20 a.m.
Thursday in the convent. She was born May 24, 1901, as Catherine
Marie Downey, in St. Joseph, Mo., and entered the
congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross at St. Mary’s
July 6, 1924 and was received as a novice on Jan. 6, 1925, and
made her professional vows two year later. She was assigned to
teaching and secretarial duties throughout her community life,
serving at at St. Mary’s Convent and at Holy Cross Convent
in South Bend. She also taught at St. Mary’s campus School
and in Illinois, Idaho, Iowa, California and Utah. She resided at
Our Lady of Holy Cross Convent in South Bend from 1970 until
illness forced her retirement in 1973. Surviving are two sisters,
Sister Bernadette Marie CSC of St. Mary’s College,
and Mrs. Mary Wigbels of Oakmount, Pa.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto and burial will follow in Our Lady of Peace Cemetery at St. Mary’s. Friends may call until the services at the St. Mary’s Convent Parlors where the rosary will be recited at 2:45 p.m. today and a wake service will be conducted at 7 p.m. today.