Submitted by: Dan Rich

Sr. M. Bertrand (Mary Sullivan)

April 30, 1915 - Oct. 15, 2002

South Bend Tribune 10/17/2002

Sister M. Bertrand (Mary Alice Sullivan), CSC, 87, was born in Palisade, Colo., to the late William J. and Rosa M. Weimer Sullivan. Sister was second of five children and is survived by her sister, Betty Sullivan Brunow of Mattituck, N.Y.; sisters-in-law, Lucy Sullivan of the Philippine Islands and Gwen (Thomas) Sullivan of Boulder City, Nev.; and nieces, Patricia Ann Sullivan of Lakewood, Colo., Chato Diomeda of St. Louis, Mo., and Chris (Paul) Belhumer of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and by a cousin, Sister Ann Patrice, CSC, of Saint Mary's Convent, Notre Dame, Ind.

Before entering the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Sister Bertrand was a legal secretary for a local law firm in Grand Junction, Colo., learned to operate a Stenotype machine and worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, D.C. She was to have an interview with the secretary of the Colorado Court Reporting Committee but a mudslide on the D&RGW rail line kept her from reaching Denver.

Sister entered the Congregation in 1947 and made final profession in 1952. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Saint Mary of the Wasatch, 1960, her MBA from the University of Notre Dame, 1967, and an honorary LLD from Saint Mary's College, 1981. Sister was an accountant at Saint Mary's, 1947-49; comptroller at St. Alphonsus Hospital, Boise, Idaho, 1949-1957; Holy Cross Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1957-1960; and Holy Cross Hospital, San Fernando, Calif., 1960-1961. She was elected general treasurer for the Congregation and served at the Generalate, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, 1961-1967. She was then missioned to the Regional House, Denver, Colo., as secretary treasurer, 1967— 1970. In 1970, Sister was named administrator of Holy Cross Hospital, San Fernando, Calif., until 1973, when she was again elected to general treasurer for the Congregation. Sister held this position at the Generalate until 1984 when she retired from financial obligations to go to St. John's Hospital, Anderson, Ind., and earn her CPE to become a chaplain in hospitals. She was chaplain at Saint Agnes Medical Center, Fresno, Calif., until her retirement in 1995. Sister volunteered at the hospital in Fresno, moved to Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, 1997, volunteered in the Archives Department, and became active in the Ministry of Prayer until her death. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministry with the Poor Fund, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, IN 46556.

Wake service: Thursday, Oct. 17, 2002, at 4 p.m. in Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame. Funeral Service: Friday, Oct. 18, 2002, at 10:30 a.m. in Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame.  The Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling arrangements.