Psalm 108:1: “My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.”
Sister Anne Callahan, 97, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 78 years, died on July 13, 2026. Born Anne Terese Callahan on June 18, 1929, in Des Moines, Iowa, she was the youngest of two daughters of Thomas Leland and Catherine Loretta (née Lynch) Callahan.
She attended Catholic schools in Des Moines, where her love of music began at an early age. A music scholarship brought her to Saint Mary College in Leavenworth in 1947, where she first met the Sisters of Charity. Although she had considered religious life as a child, it was the joy, freedom, and genuine spirit of the Sisters that ultimately led her to enter the Community on August 19, 1948. She received her habit on February 15, 1949, and was given the name Sister Mary Incarnata. She later returned to her baptismal name, Sister Anne.
Sister Anne earned a Bachelor of Music degree in piano and music education from Saint Mary College and a Master of Music degree from DePaul University in Chicago.
For more than six decades, Sister Anne shared her extraordinary gifts as musician, educator, accompanist, conductor, and liturgist. She began her ministry teaching music in elementary schools in Topeka, Kansas; Laramie, Wyoming; and Kansas City, Missouri; before teaching in secondary schools in Billings and Helena, Montana; Kansas City, Missouri; and Leavenworth, Kansas.
In 1964, Sister Anne joined the faculty of Saint Mary College, now the University of Saint Mary, where she taught for 35 years, including 20 years as music department chair. For generations of Sisters, students, alums, faculty, and friends, Sister Anne was the musical heart of the Community. Whether conducting acclaimed musicals, accompanying students at recitals, leading choirs, or playing the organ for liturgies, she helped countless people encounter beauty, joy, and prayer through music. She mentored generations of students, leaving an enduring mark on the University of Saint Mary that continues to resonate today.
Sister Anne’s ministry extended well beyond the classroom. She served as novice director for five years and volunteered in the adult mental health program at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California. She also directed the Catholic choir at the United States Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth for 10 years. She taught music appreciation courses at the Kansas State Penitentiary, the United States Federal Penitentiary, and the United States Disciplinary Barracks. Wherever she served, she believed music had the power to restore dignity, inspire hope, and draw people closer to God.
Music remained at the heart of her ministry throughout her life. Beginning in 1964, she served as choir director for the Sisters of Charity Mother House. In 1998, she also became director of liturgy, faithfully carrying both ministries until her retirement in 2016. Even then, retirement did not diminish her generosity. She continued serving as organist, pianist, mentor, and trusted friend whenever her gifts were needed.
Known for her humility, generosity, and joyful spirit, Sister Anne often said she had received “100-fold” blessings through the people she encountered in ministry and Community life. While her music enriched countless liturgies and celebrations, it was her encouragement, quiet excellence, witty humor, and unwavering faith that left the deepest impression on those who knew her.
She also treasured her family. Devoted to her older sister, Mary Elizabeth, Sister Anne was an exceptionally proud aunt who delighted in the lives and accomplishments of her nieces and nephews. She kept her family at the forefront of her prayer life and spoke of them often with gratitude and affection.
Sister Anne leaves behind a remarkable legacy of faith, music, education, and love that will continue to inspire the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, the University of Saint Mary, and all those whose lives she touched.
Preceding her in death were her parents and her sister, Mary Elizabeth Pearce. Survivors include her nieces, nephews, and the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.
A vigil service will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, July 27, 2026, in Ross Chapel at the Mother House in Leavenworth. A rosary will be prayed at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, July 28, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow in Mount Olivet Cemetery on the Mother House grounds. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Retirement Fund, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth, KS 66048.
