(1939-2024)

Before Mary Katherine came to live in Adrian, I did not know her. Our paths had never crossed. Who I came to know was a quiet, lovely woman who did not just read the Bible, she LIVED it. We heard last evening about a woman who spent her life doing what Jesus has asked ALL of us to do: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless …

Sister Maria Goretti Browne’s funeral homily for Sister Mary Katherine Dolan honored a woman whose service to others spanned the classroom, community organizing, pastoral ministry, and helping formerly incarcerated women make a new start in their lives.

Mary Kay, as she was known, was born in Chicago on October 20, 1939, to John and Marie (Haley) Dolan. She was the oldest child and the only girl, and when it came to her brothers – John, Lawrence, and Thomas – “I ruled the roost,” she said in her 2015 “A Sister’s Story” video.

Her father John was a city bus driver and, apparently, quintessentially Irish. “My mother and father were very good,” Sister Mary Kay said in the video. “We had a happy childhood, but I wouldn’t say it was calm and peaceful. It was kind of tumultuous. Our postulant mistress [Sister Kathleen O’Connell] was kind of bombastic, but I thought she was just normal. She never bothered me; she reminded me of my father: Irish!”

Read more about Sister Mary Katherine (PDF)

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

Sister's Memorial Card (PDF)

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

Recording of Sister Mary Katherine'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 Mary Katherine's Funeral Mass - After clicking the link, download the recording by right-clicking on the video choosing "Save video as." Worship Aid (PDF)

 

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