Sister Roseanne Walker (Sister Anne Rose)- 70th Jubilee

Written on: April 4, 2016

A Philadelphia girl at heart, Sister Roseanne Walker (Sister Anne Rose) taught elementary school in Ogdensburg, New York, Mahanoy City and Strafford, Pennsylvania and, for 20 years, in parishes in Jackson Heights, New York. When she retired from teaching, she sought ministry with the poor. She concluded that the poorest of the poor were those in mental institutions.

After studying Clinical Pastoral Education, she began her later life’s work as a passionate and compassionate advocate for the mentally ill. Over the years, she has been the recipient of seven awards for her work in this area. For several years, she was the librarian, the keeper of the Motherhouse library. In her retirement years, she is an avid reader and enjoys spending time with her sisters at Holy Redeemer D’Youville Manor where she is a resident.

My choice to become a Grey Nun of the Sacred Heart was a very important one in my life. During my student days at Little Flower High School, I paid special attention to the many religious orders that taught there. I made my choice to become a Grey Nun because I saw in the Grey Nuns kindness,gentleness, and tolerance of differences. I sensed most of all compassion toward the needy among us. I have cherished my decision which I made 70 years ago to follow in the footsteps of those Grey Nuns, daughters of St. Marguerite d’Youville. I look forward to this celebration with a sense of great gratitude to all the Grey Nuns who have come into my life and by their presence graced my life. The other roads I might have chosen could in no way be as great as the one for which I answered God’s call.

Read more about Sister Roseanne’s work with the mentally ill click here

This entry was posted in Our 2016 Jubilarians and tagged: advocate for mentally ill, Clinical Pastoral Education, Jackson Heights NY, librarian, Little Flower High School, Mahanoy City, mental institutions, Ogdensburg NY, Philadelphia, poor, Strafford PA