(1938-2023)

“There are three characteristics I remember as a child that permeated [the] two Italian families from which I have my roots: living in poverty, love of God, and love for one another.”

Sister Mary Catherine Gagliano’s autobiography begins with a summation of the backgrounds of her parents, both of whom were the children of Sicilian immigrants. Alex, her father, was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where his parents had settled and opened a strawberry farm. Her mother, Genevieve, was born in Beloit, Wisconsin; a few years later, her family moved to Freeport, Illinois.

When Alex was nineteen, he, his mother, and his uncle took a riverboat up the Mississippi River in search of a better place for the family to live and somehow ended up in Rockford, Illinois. Twelve years later, at a dance, he met Genevieve, who had come from Freeport to Rockford to visit her sister and brother-in-law. Genevieve was nineteen and Alex was thirty-one, which led both sets of parents to oppose their marriage, but the couple was sure their love would withstand the difference in their ages, and they turned out to be right.

Read more about Sister Mary Catherine (PDF).

Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan, 49221.

 

Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)

 

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

Recording of Sister Mary Catherine's Vigil Service - After clicking the link, download the recording by clicking on the three dots at the bottom right corner of the screen and choosing "Download." Worship Aid (PDF)

Recording of Sister Mary Catherine's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by clicking on the three dots at the bottom right corner of the screen and choosing "Download." Worship Aid (PDF)

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