Sister Rosalie Curtin

“No harm or ruin on that holy mountain. That sacred day shall be filled with knowledge…on that holy mountain of the Lord .”
-Based on Isaiah 11:9

Sister Rosalie Curtin, 92, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 75 years, died on March 18, 2025. The eldest of the five children of James Andrew and Mary Frances (née Troha) Curtin, she was born in Butte, Montana, on November 20, 1932, and baptized Lorraine. Vivacious and outgoing as a child, Sister Rosalie loved music, dancing, and spending time with family and friends. She learned to play the organ at a young age and, by 12 years old, was playing for daily Mass, which was celebrated early in the morning and continued throughout the summer months.

Sister Rosalie attended Catholic school in Butte and was taught by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, first at St. Mary’s Elementary and then at Girls’ Central High. The Sisters provided her with a solid academic education and firm foundation in faith, and their witness, joy, and warmth helped her to recognize her own call to a life of faith and service to God. On February 14, 1951, she entered the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, taking the name Sister Rosalie upon receiving her habit.

Following her entrance into the SCL Community, she earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in elementary administration, both from Saint Mary College in Leavenworth. Her post-graduate academic work included numerous opportunities for continuing her adult faith formation and theological studies, through workshops, conferences, and additional coursework.

Sister Rosalie was a teacher at heart and began her teaching ministry as a first-grade teacher. Her leadership and administrative skills were recognized quickly, and she soon became a teacher and principal, teaching and serving in elementary schools across Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, and Montana.

Vatican II, a time of collegiality and collaboration among priests, Sisters, and the laity in the Church, presented Sister Rosalie with an opportunity to teach and minister at the parish level. At St. Peter’s Parish in Kansas City, Missouri, she became immersed in adult faith formation through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). She was moved by people discerning their faith life and relationship with their God, energized as she walked with them, and cherished their stories. Inspired by this lived experience, Sister Rosalie became part of a team that developed and published a practical workbook for the RCIA process —a curriculum used throughout the United States.

Following her RCIA ministry, Sister Rosalie served as the Director of Initial Formation and as the Novice Director for the SCL Community, adapting the RCIA model to the formation process for women discerning their call to religious life. This curriculum was adopted by many other women religious communities who saw the value of the model, and she traveled widely to present it to formators.

In 1986, Sister Rosalie was elected to the SCL Community Council. Following a term on the leadership team, she returned to pastoral ministry at St. Pius X Parish in Overland Park, Kansas, and subsequently to mission work at Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas. From 2006 until her official retirement in 2013, she served as Mission Coordinator and Pastoral Ministry Instructor at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth. When she moved to the SCL Mother House and eventually to Ross Hall, she continued to be active in ministry as a volunteer. At the Mother House, she was instrumental in establishing the SCL Employee Mission Team, which remains active today.

Sister Rosalie was a woman of Vatican II ecclesiology, believing the church was the people of God, and that each person had a gift to contribute. One of her gifts was walking with people on their faith journey. A good listener, she would help people discern their faith and relationship with God, encouraging and challenging them along the way.

Throughout her retirement years, Sister Rosalie continued to listen to, guide, and encourage people of all ages as they shared their faith stories and lives with her, seeking guidance, wisdom, and companionship. Sister Rosalie treasured the many relationships she had developed over the years and always enjoyed meeting their families and loved ones.

Preceding Sister Rosalie in death were her parents and her sister, Mary Jo McDonald. Survivors include a sister, Patricia (Leroy) Lee, and brothers, James (Joan) and Richard (Dorothy); nieces and nephews; and the SCL Community.

A vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Ross Chapel, SCL Mother House, Leavenworth. The Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, also in Ross Chapel. Interment will follow in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Mother House grounds. Memorial contributions can be made to the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth, KS 66048.