Sister Catherine Leary (Kathleen James), 71, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, died at Mercy Hospital, Springfield on May 10, 2015. Born in Springfield, Mass. she was the daughter of James F. and Catherine (Germain) Leary.
Sister Catherine entered the Sisters of St. Joseph from Holy Name Parish, Springfield in 1961. She graduated from Cathedral High School and earned a Bachelor’s degree from The College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee. She received a Master’s degree in applied science from American International College, Springfield and a Master’s degree in religious education from Boston College.
Sister Catherine’s early ministries included teaching at Our Lady of Hope School and Cathedral High School, both in Springfield. She then became Director of Religious Education at Holy Name Parish, Springfield and subsequently Consultant in Religious Education for the Diocese of Springfield. She served the Sisters of St. Joseph as a member of their Leadership Team from 1999-2005 and was National Secretary of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) from 2004-05. Sister Catherine was Pastoral Minister for a total of 22 years, eight of them at Annunciation Parish, Florence and the remainder at Holy Name Parish, Springfield, a position in which she continued until the end of her life. In addition to engaging in her formal ministries, Sister Catherine earned the title of Master Weaver from the Hill Institute, Florence, MA and received numerous awards for her work.
In addition to her Sisters in Community, she is survived by her siblings Mary Ann Boon of Gloucester Pt., VA; Noreen Gallagher Smith of Austin, TX; James F. Leary of Washington, DC; Denise Jones of Milwaukee, WI; Martin F. Leary of Vine Grove, KY; Frances Kollenz of Mulhauser, Germany; Therese Thornock of Phoenix, AZ; and Clare Decosmo of Ft. Myers, FL. She was predeceased by her parents and by her brother John E. Leary.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph, 577 Carew St., Springfield, MA 01104.