Submitted by: Dan Rich

Sister M. Melissa Lee CSC

1848 – Dec. 13, 1937

South Bend Tribune 12/14/1937

Funeral services for Sister M. Melissa CSC, 89, one of the oldest and best known of the Sisters of Holy Cross at St. Mary’s College, were held Monday at 4 p.m. in St. Mary’s where she was head of the infirmary for many years. Requiem high mass was sung in the Chapel of Loretto at 5:30 a.m. Monday. Internment was in the convent cemetery.

Sister Melissa who had been in failing health for some time died Sunday in the Sisters infirmary of the motherhouse, St. Mary’s Convent. She was born in Ireland in 1848; received the holy habit in 1877, and was professed in 1879. For many years she was infirmarian of the students infirmary. In her early years she had been on a mission away from St. Mary’s at the time of the opening of St. Edward’s academy in Deadwood, S.D. in 1883. But most of her 60 years as a religious had been spent at St. Mary’s. In recent years she had been connected with the college. For some time she had charge of the dining room for priests and guests, and occasionally acted as assistant portress.

Editor: Baptismal name taken from CSC archives as Catherine Lee.