Submitted by: Dan Rich

Sister Mary E. O'Brien CSC

Aug 13, 1919 - Jan. 2, 2000

South Bend Tribune 1/4/2000

Sister Mary Ellen O'Brien, CSC, 80, died on Sunday, Jan. 2, in Rosary Convent, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, Ind. Sister Mary Ellen O'Brien was born on Aug. 13, 1919, in Peoria, Ill., to the late Thomas Gregory O'Brien and Josephine (Schmitt) O'Brien.

She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross at Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, on Aug. 1, 1937, from Peoria, and made her final profession in the Congregation on Aug. 15, 1943. Sister Mary Ellen was educated by the Sisters of the Holy Cross from grade school through college and received her Bachelor of Science degree in education. She continued her studies at Loyola University, Indiana University, and received her Master of Arts degree from De Paul University with a major in Administration. Sister taught in Catholic schools in Michigan City and South Bend, Ind., Morris and Chicago, Ill., from 1940 to 1970. Sister was a teacher and principal in those until she became involved with the Head Start Program in Danville, Ill., in 1969, and was appointed overall director of 15 centers in Vermilion County, Ill. Sister Mary Ellen was forced to leave education because of health problems and found that her background easily adapted to the health care field when she became Director of Volunteers at Holy Cross Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1973. In 1981 Sister was elected to the position of Western Regional Superior and lived in Denver, Colo., 1982-1987. Following these six years, Sister spent four months on sabbatical in Tiberias, Israel.

January 1988 she again entered the field of Health Care as vice-president of Mission Services at Holy Cross Medical Center, Mission Hills, Calif. After another few months sabbatical, in 1992, Sister Mary Ellen did some administrative duties in Moreau Convent, Saint Mary's, and then became Director of Volunteers and Coordinator of Mission at Saint Paul's Retirement Center, 1992-1997. Sister came to Rosary Convent, Saint Mary's, in June 1997.

Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 5, in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Saint Mary's, followed by interment at Queen of Peace Cemetery, Saint Mary's. A wake service will be at 7 p.m. today in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Saint Mary's. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministry with the Poor Fund, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, IN 46556. The Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling arrangements.