Dominican Sister of Peace Paschala Noonan, OP (102), a native of Quincy, Massachusetts, died on January 30, 2021, at Sansbury Care Center, St. Catharine, Kentucky. Sr. Paschala is survived by several nieces and nephews.
A Dominican for 83 years, Sr. Paschala earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy/English/History from DePaul University (Chicago, IL); a Registered Nursing degree from St. Rose School of Nursing (Great Bend, KS); a Certificate in Gerontology from University of Massachusetts (Boston, MA); and a Certificate in Pastoral Ministry from the Diocese of Brooklyn (Brooklyn, NY). She ministered as a teacher at Spalding Academy (Spalding, NE) and St. Bartholomew (Chicago, IL). Sister was an obstetrics supervisor and administrator at St. Catherine Hospital (McCook, NE); a Nursing supervisor at Rosary Hospital (Campbellsville, KY); an administrator at Mary Immaculate Hospital (Lebanon, KY). Sr. Paschala served on the General Council for the former congregation of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catharine, St. Catharine, KY, and taught at St. Catharine College (St. Catharine, KY) from 1960 to 1966. She was liaison with bishops on health care with the National Catholic Conference of Bishops in Washington, DC. In 1975, Sister was the Associate Director/Pastoral Care of the Sick, Elderly and Handicapped of Catholic Charities in Brooklyn, NY and later became the Director. She continued to work in Housing Management at St. Charles Jubilee Center for the Elderly and Pierrepont Housing (Brooklyn, NY). Sr. Paschala worked as the Director of the Office of Elder Affairs for the Archdiocese of Boston. She later was the Director of Volunteers and Research Assistant at Kit Clark House for the Boston area. Sr. Paschala went on to write two Kentucky Dominican history books entitled Signadou and LaBella Brigata and was the historian for the former congregation of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catharine, St. Catharine, KY. As a writer she worked for the American Journal of Nursing in New York, Mexico, California, Nigeria and Puerto Rico. She was a writer and researcher for the USCCB and wrote the The Church’s Responsibility for the Elderly. She went on to publish many articles and received many awards.
In 2008, Sr. Paschala moved to Sansbury Care Center (St. Catharine, KY), where she began a ministry of community service and prayer.
Arrangements are handled by Hale–Polin–Robinson Funeral Home in Springfield, Kentucky. Due to the COVID19 pandemic restrictions, graveside services will be private. Burial will be in the St. Catharine Motherhouse cemetery on Tuesday, February 2, 2021. A memorial mass will be held at a later date at Sansbury Care Center, St. Catharine, KY. Date to be announced.
Memorial gifts in Sr. Paschala’s memory may be sent to Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Dr., Columbus, OH 43219-2098. To make a secure online donation or to view a full obituary, please visit www.oppeace.org.
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