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(1934-2026)
Sister Reta Drexler, formerly known as Sister Madonna Rose, died on Thursday, January 1, 2026, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 91 years of age and in the 67th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
Sister Reta was born in Dearborn, Michigan, to William and Rose (Hoorman) Drexler. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in Adrian and received a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian. She was also certified as a spiritual director.
Sister spent 30 years ministering in education in Detroit, Norway, Maybee, Iron Mountain, and Escanaba, Michigan; Defiance, Cincinnati, and Swanton, Ohio; and Melbourne, Florida. She also spent eight years as director of religious education and pastoral minister at St. Jude Parish in Tequesta, Florida, and one year in pastoral ministry at St. Helen Parish in Vero Beach, Florida.
Sister Reta was also a general assistant for a year and a half at Maria Health Care Center in Adrian, an institution of the Adrian Dominican Congregation. Sister became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2005.
Sister Reta was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Vera Hartman and Florence Wright; and her brothers, Albert, Carl, Donald, and James Drexler. She is survived by other loving family members and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 7, 2026, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, January 8, 2026. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery.
Those not attending services in person are welcome to participate via live stream at https://adriandominicans.org/Live-Stream.
Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Anderson-Marry Funeral Home, Adrian.
Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)
LEFT: The Drexler siblings, circa 1947, are: back row, from left, Florence, Don, Carl, and Vera, and front row, from left, James, Albert, and Reta. MIDDLE: Siblings Albert and Reta Drexler. RIGHT: Reta at the age of 8, 1942.
LEFT: Reta poses with her horse, Smokey, in Clayton, Michigan, circa 1950. MIDDLE LEFT: Sister Madonna Rose with her parents, Rose and William Drexler, on the day of her Reception into the Novitiate, December 1952.
LEFT: Spending time in Utah are, from left, Sisters Lorraine Sinn, Dorothy Booms, Lorraine Pepin, and Reta Drexler. RIGHT: From left, Sisters Joan Petz, Lorraine Pepin, Lois Mary Rochon, Dorothy Booms, Margaret Richard Pillon, and Reta Drexel.
Members of the 2012 Diamond Jubilarian Crowd are: back row, from left, Sisters Dorothy Booms, Lorraine Pepin, Carolyn Nelson, Reta Drexler, Arlene Marie Kosmatka, Frances Madigan, and Attracta Kelly (Prioress); middle row, from left, Sisters Kathryn Hartnett, Marguerite Renuart, Maureen Keeler, Lorraine Sinn, and Cora Marie Campbell; and front row, from left, Sisters Anne Cenci, Ann Kelly, Joann Weigang, and Magdalena Ezoe.
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Sister Marie Rose Bauer, formerly known as Sister Ann Jeanine, died on Thursday, January 1, 2026, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 91 years of age and in the 72nd year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
Sister was born in Port Huron, Michigan, to John F. and Marie Rose (Kern) Bauer. She graduated from St. Stephen High School in Port Huron and received a bachelor’s degree in history from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian.
Sister ministered for more than 29 years in elementary education in Detroit and Port Huron, Michigan, giving 23 years of service to St. Joseph Parish in Port Huron. She also ministered for 10 years in education in Chicago. She became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 1998.
Sister Marie Rose was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Elizabeth Flynn; and two brothers, John Jr. and Robert. Sister is survived by a brother, Joe Bauer (Betsy), other loving family members, and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 pm on Monday, January 12, 2026, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 12, 2026, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery.
(1936-2025)
Sister Christine Matthews, formerly known as Sister James Elizabeth, died on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center, Adrian, Michigan. She was 89 years of age and in the 69th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
Sister was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, to James and Grace (Austin) Matthews. She graduated from Dominican High School in Detroit and received a bachelor’s degree in English from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian, a master’s degree in reading from Barry College (University) in Miami, and a master’s degree in religious education from Seattle University.
Sister Christine ministered for 30 years in various levels of education in Jackson and Adrian, Michigan; Pensacola and Jacksonville, Florida; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Santurce, Puerto Rico. This includes more than 10 years at Siena Heights University in Adrian as coordinator of the Theological Studies Program in the Diocese of Saginaw and then as the University’s alumni relations assistant.
Sister served six years as a member of the Congregation’s General Council and six years on the Congregation’s Mission Service Team. She also served for seven years as the Executive Director of the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA) in Cincinnati, three years as the Director of Leadership Formation for the Diocese of Toledo, and three years in community development at the Northern Free State Institute in Kroonstad, South Africa.
Sister Christine was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Mary J. Rowley; and a brother, Michael J. Matthews. She is survived by two sisters, Grace Varga and Janet Anne Greene; other loving family members; and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery.
Note: To view recordings with closed captioning, they must be viewed on our public video library rather than through the links below.
Recording of Sister Christine's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
Recording of Sister Christine's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
LEFT: Graduation photo, Dominican High School, Detroit, 1955. MIDDLE LEFT: Reception Day, 1955. MIDDLE RIGHT: Sister James Elizabeth (Christine) with her parents, James and Grace Matthews. RIGHT: Sisters Christine Matthews and Tarianne DeYonker.
LEFT: Sister Christine Matthews during a farewell party from the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA), 1992. MIDDLE: Members of the 1992-1998 General Council are: back row, from left, Sisters Anne Guinan, Patricia Siemen, and Molly Nicholson, and front row, from left, Patricia Walter (Prioress) and Christine Matthews. RIGHT: From left, Sisters Christine Matthews, Geraldine Megel, and Mary J. Beaubien begin their mission in Kroonstad, South Africa, September 2002.
LEFT: From left, blood sisters Mary, Janet, Grace, and Sister Christine celebrate her Silver Jubilee in Adrian, May 17, 1981. RIGHT: Attending a discernment gathering for service in Africa are, from left, Sisters Mary Pat Dewey, Overseas Chapter Prioress; Christine Matthews, General Council Liaison; Frances Lombaer; Mary Margaret Pachucki; Mary Celeste Lynch; Geneal Kramer; and Jean Tobin, March 1993.
LEFT: Sister Christine Matthews speaks at a special event at Dominican High School and Academy, Detroit.
Members of the 1997-1998 Leadership Council are: back row, from left, Sisters Anne Guinan, Nancyann Turner, Molly Nicholson, Joella Miller, Mary Margaret Mannard, Rose Ann Schlitt, Barbara Stanek, Patricia Siemen, and Christine Matthews, and, front row, from left, Sisters Patricia Walter (Prioress), Kathryn Cliatt, Lorraine Mordenski, Jane Robert Stuckel, Marie Carleen Maly, Celestine Dunne, Rosemary Asaro, and Rose Celeste O’Connell.
Members of the 2025 Double-Diamond Jubilee Crowd are: back row, from left, Sisters Rita Rose Sieg, Christine Matthews, Nancyann Turner, Jovanna Stein, Kathleen Waters, Joan Leo Kehn, Joan Mary, Sheila Delaney, Mary Kastens, Marilyn Winter, and Elise D. García (Prioress); and front row, from left, Sisters Mary Ann Ennis, Carol Coston, Norine Burns, Anneliese Sinnott, Rosalie Esquerra, Ann Ziemba, and Therese E. Allgeyer. Not shown are Sisters Rose Bernadette Hoeffner, Barbara Ann Long, and Martha Napior.
(1941-2025)
Sister Jamie Phelps, baptized Jamie Theresa Phelps and formerly known as Sister Martin Thomas, died on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 84 years of age and in the 65th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
Sister Jamie was born in Mobile, Alabama, to Alfred and Emma (Brown) Phelps. She graduated from Josephinum High School (Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart) in Chicago and obtained a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian; a master’s degree in social work with a focus on group sequence from the University of Illinois in Chicago; a master’s degree in theology from St. John University in Collegeville, Minnesota; and a doctorate in systematic theology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Sister Jamie ministered 27 years in education in Chicago and Harvey, Illinois, and Notre Dame, Indiana, including 12 years as a theology instructor at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, two years as a visiting professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, and five years as a visiting professor of theology at Loyola University in Chicago. She ministered as a psychiatric social worker for seven years in Chicago: two years at Mercy Hospital and five years at Chicago Child Care Society.
Sister was a founding member of the National Black Sisters’ Conference and the founding director of the Augustus Tolton Pastoral Ministry Program at CTU. She also served eight years as the director of the Institute of Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She spent one year doing theological research and writing in Chicago and more than a decade as a theology consultant and theologian, first in Chicago, then in Adrian. Sister became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2019.
Sister Jamie was preceded in death by her parents, brothers William Brown and Julius Phelps, and sisters Marionette Phelps and Alfreda Phelps-Bowles. She is survived by her brother Alfred Phelps Jr., other loving family members, and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 3, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery.
Recording of Sister Jamie's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
Recording of Sister Jamie's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)
MIDDLE RIGHT: Sister Jamie Phelps speaks after receiving an honorary doctorate from Aquinas Institute of Theology, a Dominican graduate school in St. Louis. (Photo by Dave Moore, http://ww.davemoorephotography.com) RIGHT: Sister Jamie Phelps gives the 2023 commencement address at the Institute of Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans. (Photo by Irving Johnson III)
LEFT: Celebrating the Final Profession of Sister Shawn Copeland in 1977 are, from left: Sisters Jamie Phelps, Shawn Copeland, Rosemary Ferguson, Maria del Rey Plain, and Cheryl Delahoussaye. MIDDLE: From left, Sisters Jamie Phelps, Genevieve Jeziolkowski, and Carleen Maly. RIGHT: From left, Dr. Vanessa White, Sister Jamie Phelps, and Dr. Shawn Copeland.
Members of the 2010 Golden Jubilee “Holy Angels” Crowd are, back row, from left, Sisters Kathleen Walli, Kathleen Voss, Mary Katherine Drouin, Molly Giller, Helene Kloss, and Monica Charles Stankus, and front row, from left, Sisters Marie Carleen Maly, Annice Mordenski, Jamie Phelps, Mary Ann Dixon, Maurine Barzantni, Mary Carr, and Donna Markham (Prioress).
Sister Jamie Phelps (front row, in the blue jacket and skirt) joins with other members of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium during an annual meeting at St. Norbert College.
Adrian Dominican theologians, circa 1993, are: back row, from left, Sisters Donna Kustusch, Maribeth Howell, Sarah Sharkey, Mary Louise Putrow, Nadine Foley, and Patricia Benson; and front row, from left, Sisters Mary Tardiff, Joanne (Jodie) Screes, Patricia Walter, Jamie Phelps, and Anele Heiges.
Our Adrian Dominican cemetery with its circular headstones is a beautiful place of rest for women who gave their lives in service to God — and a peaceful place for contemplation and remembrance.
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