(1934-2016)

Love is my calling.

Sister Renee Richie, baptized Lois Janette, was born on June 13, 1934, in Detroit, the fourth of six children born to Alfred and Gladys (McCardy) Richie. Her father was born in Canada, and her mother had lived there since early childhood.  They married in 1924 and their first three children – Eleanor, Alfred “Freddy” and Pauline – were born in Canada. Sister Renee and her two younger brothers, David and Owen, were born in Detroit.  

In her autobiography, Sister Renee wrote the following about her family:

My father was the decision-maker in our home, always very responsible yet a quiet man who liked routine and order. My mom was the homemaker, cooking basic meat and potatoes and living simply. She was very creative and unafraid to try new ideas. She nursed me through Polio when I was five. I was paralyzed in bed for sox months, and because of her healing touch and massage, I feel I was completely cured.  There was no medication available.  In many ways it was a joyous time as I was the center of attention.

I was close to all my brothers and sisters yet in very different ways. Freddy was always significant in my life. We had a deep understanding of the more serious parts of our lives. For example, he shared with me his desire to enter the monastery before he told anyone else. [My older sister] Pauline and I shared as sisters and I always felt I was her confidant.   

Read more about Sister Renee (pdf)

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

 

A Sister's Story with Sister Renee Richie, OP

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