(1939-2025)

Sister Rosalie Esquerra, formerly known as Sister Maria Antonia Esquerra, died on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian. She was 86 years of age and in the 69th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Rosalie was born in Kingman, Arizona, to Raymond and Eva (Torres) Esquerra. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in Adrian, Michigan, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian and a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Sister Rosalie ministered 17 years in education in Detroit, Michigan; Douglas and Winslow, Arizona; and Las Vegas, Nevada. This included one year as principal at Our Lady of Las Vegas and two years as education specialist at the Latin American Pastoral Center in Detroit. She then served for 12 years as associate director for Focus Life, Inc. in Detroit. Focus Life was renamed Life Directions in 1987.

Sister Rosalie served in many ministerial roles for Life Directions from 1987 on: three years as associate director, one year as formation director, four years as the CEO, and nine years as the director of training, all in Detroit. She also served Life Directions in Chicago for over two years as project director and in Tucson, Arizona, for 10 years as director and one year as an administrator. Sister became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2021.

Sister Rosalie was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Roger, Raymond, Donald, Richard, Mary Louise, and Regina Lozoya. She is survived by siblings Robert, Roland, Rebecca, Randolph and Ronald Esquerra and Rachel Stapleton, other loving family members; and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, August 18, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Monday, August 18, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, August 19, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery.

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)

 

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(1928-2025)

Sister Shirley Ann Cushing, formerly known as Sister Blanche Marie, died on Friday, July 18, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 97 years of age and in the 78th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Shirley was born in Detroit to Frank and Blanche (Réaume) Cushing. She graduated from St. Theresa High School in Detroit and received a bachelor’s degree in English from Siena Heights College (University), Adrian; a master’s degree in English from DePaul University, Chicago; and a master’s degree in religious education and a Doctor of Law degree, both from the University of Detroit (now University of Detroit Mercy).

Sister Shirley ministered in education for 20 years in Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Shaker Heights, Ohio; and Tokyo, Japan. She served three years as Postulant Mistress and three years as Juniorate Director for the Congregation. She served for one year as pastoral minister at St. Lawrence in Utica, Michigan, and seven years as the Adult Education Resource Director at St. Edmund in Warren, Michigan. 

Sister Shirley then served for seven years as a staff attorney in the senior unit for Lakeshore Legal Service, Inc. in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and seven years as the attorney manager for the legal program at Macomb County Department of Senior Services in Mount Clemens. She moved to the Dominican Life Center in 2021.

Sister Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, William Cushing and Father Frank Cushing; and her sisters, Dorothy Cushing, Mary Blanche Trudeau, and Sister Virginia Cushing, also an Adrian Dominican Sister. 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, July 23, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 24, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery. 

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)

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

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

 

LEFT: 1945 graduate of St. Theresa High School, Detroit.  MIDDLE RIGHT: From left, siblings Sister Blanche Marie (Shirley) Cushing, Father Frank Cushing, and Sister William Francis (Virginia) Cushing. RIGHT: Sister Shirley prepares for her graduation from the University of Detroit Law School, May 13, 1984.

LEFT: From left, Sisters Anne Liam Lees, Shirley Cushing, Margaret Lane, and Arlene Kosmatka. RIGHT: Members of the 2016 Double-Diamond Jubilee Crowd are: back row, standing and sitting, from left, Sisters Sheila N. Flynn, Anne Bernadette Stein, Ann Romayne Fallon, Beverly McEachin, Patricia M. Martin, Shirley Ann Cushing, Joanne Patricia Gwizdala, Edith Kathleen Zemke, and Jean Fitzgerald, and front row, from left, Sisters Ann Patrice Remkus, Jean Irene McAllister, Winifred C. M. Lynch, Georgina Luznicky, and Marie Therese Emery.

LEFT: Sister Shirley visits a shop in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. MIDDLE LEFT: Sister Shirley stands in front of the Holy Cross Abbey, built in 1252 in Sligo, Ireland. MIDDLE RIGHT: Blood sisters Shirley (left) and Virginia Cushing. RIGHT: Sisters Shirley Cushing, left, and Virginia Cushing celebrate Christmas.

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(1931-2025)

Sister Charlotte Hoefer, formerly known as Sister Marie Josepha, died on July 16, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 93 years of age and in the 77th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Charlotte was born in Lafayette, Indiana, to Joseph and Marie (Reuter) Hoefer. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in Adrian and received a bachelor’s degree in Latin from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian; a master’s degree in Latin from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.; and a Master of Theology degree in spiritual direction and a Master of Divinity degree in spirituality, both from Weston College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Sister ministered 24 years in elementary and secondary education in Chicago; Dearborn, Clawson, and Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Grafton, West Virginia; and Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She also served in various pastoral ministries for 40 years in Adrian, Detroit, and Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and Orlando, Florida. This included 35 years with the Dominican Center for Religious Development, which she co-founded and later served as director. 

Sister Charlotte became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian in 2016. She was preceded in death by her parents and two siblings, Rita de Raud and Joseph Hoefer, Jr. She is survived by her brother, Michael Hoefer; other loving family members; and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.  

Visitation will be held from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, July 21, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Monday, July 21, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery. 

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)

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

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

 

MIDDLE LEFT: Sister Marie Josepha poses with her family at the time of her final profession in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1952. MIDDLE RIGHT: Sister Marie Josepha enjoys some horseback riding in Roy, New Mexico. RIGHT: Sisters Charlotte Hoefer, left, and Joanne Podlucky visit Sedona, Arizona, 2008.

LEFT: Charlotte, left, in eighth grade, with her blood sister Rita, seventh grade, attend the eighth-grade prom, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, 1940.

LEFT: Sister Charlotte in her teaching ministry, 1985. RIGHT: Members of the Dominican Center for Religious Development staff, circa 1995, are, from left, Sisters Maribeth Howell and Charlotte Hoefer, Rev. Victor Clore, and Sisters Carol Johannes and Rosemarie Kieffer. 

LEFT: Members of the 2007 Diamond Jubilee, February group are, back row, from left, Sisters Charlotte Hoefer, Marie Damian Schoenlein, Shirley Boettcher, and Patrice Eilers; middle row, from left, Sisters Anne Worcester, Elizabeth Condon, JoAnn Fleischaker, Eileen Meyers, Sarah Cavanaugh, and Mary Cecile Quirke; and front row, from left, Sisters Jacquelyn Murray, Catherine Podvin, Imelda Marie Eckhoff, Paul Emelia Brown, Noreen O’Connell, Elizabeth Williams, and Helene Dompierre. RIGHT: From left, Sisters Charlotte Hoefer, Maureen Comer, and Carol Fleming, May 2010.

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(1930-2025)

Sister Marion O’Connor, formerly known as Sister Ellen Michael O’Connor, died on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 95 years of age and in the 76th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.

Sister Marion was born in Chicago to Jeremiah and Mary (Stack) O’Connor. She graduated from Aquinas High School in Chicago and received a bachelor’s degree in history from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian and a master’s degree in history from Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

Sister ministered for seven years in education in Detroit and Lansing, Michigan. She then embarked on 54 years of teaching in Chicago, Hometown, and Wilmette, Illinois, including 48 years at Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette, a legacy institution of the Congregation. For 37 of her years at Regina Dominican, she was also a department chair and then was senior study moderator for five years. 

Sister Marion became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in 2017. She was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by loving cousins and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Visitation will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in the gathering space of St. Catherine Chapel. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Prayers of Committal will be held in the Congregation Cemetery. 

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)

Vigil and Funeral Recordings

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

 

LEFT: Marion at about 6 months old. MIDDLE LEFT: 1948 graduate of Aquinas High School, Chicago. MIDDLE RIGHT: Sister Ellen Michael at her reception into the novitiate, with her parents, Jeremiah and Mary O'Connor. RIGHT: Entrance Day, 1948.

MIDDLE: Students at Aquinas High School, Chicago, during the 1947-1948 school year are, from left, Marion O’Connor (the future Sister Ellen Michael), Ann Elizabeth (the future Sister Thomas James) Burns, Sister Francis Gerald Broderick, Therese (the future Sister Thomas Frances) DeCanio, and Mary Ann Levento. RIGHT: Sister Marion with her cousin, Father Edward Fitzgerald, celebrant of the Mass celebrating Sister Marion’s Silver Jubilee. 

LEFT: Sister Marion works with a student from Regina Dominican High School. RIGHT: Members of the 2008 Diamond Jubilee Crowd are, back row, from left, Sisters Nora Brady, Marie Geraldine Brownell, Celestine Dunne, Alice Riegel, Patricia Wiley, John Norton Barrett, Mary Schmagner, and Therese DeCanio, and front row, from left, Sisters Mary Helen Mack, Joan Sopha, Mary E. Quinn, Dorothy Thielk, Margaret Urban, Patricia Ann Hurley, Marion O’Connor, and Judith Singer. 

LEFT: Enjoying time together on Marco Island, Florida, in June 2001 are, from left, Sisters Sarah Cavanaugh, Marie Bride Walsh, and Marion O’Connor. RIGHT: Sister Marion, center, with her cousins, from left, Celeste King, Brendan Hurling, Elizabeth King, and Michael Malone, attend the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Regina Dominican High School.

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