“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will never die.”
(John 11:26)
It is in the hope of the resurrection that the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie note the death of Sister Cecilia Mulcahey (Sister M. Aloysius) on Monday, September 19, 2022. Sister Cecilia was born in Sudbury on April 7, 1928 to William Edward Mulcahey and Evelyn Mae (Boucher). She was the second of eight children, and was predeceased by her brothers Rev. Harris, Robert (Rita, predeceased), Lloyd (Rosita), and Lawrence (Diana). She is survived by her siblings Doreen (Michael Hickey), Patrick (Dara), and Teresa, many nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie.
Sister Cecilia’s faith was nurtured in her family and in her home parish of Holy Trinity in Sudbury (the Donovan). She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie on March 14, 1944 and took the name Sister Mary Aloysius. After her novitiate, Sister attended North Bay Normal School. From here, her teaching ministry was launched. Along with serving as principal, Sister continued studies for her Bachelor’s degree and also ministered as sacristan in the parishes in which the schools in which she served were located. She was able to share the love for the children she taught and the joy of education in the various areas in which she taught: Fort William, Port Arthur (Thunder Bay), Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury and Nassau, Bahamas.
Most would have anticipated a well-deserved sabbath time after teaching for 25 years, but Sister Cecilia, who always appreciated learning, considered a short hiatus studying nursing at the Quo Vadis School of Nursing. It became clear that nursing would not be her vocation. Instead, Sister Cecilia completed her Bachelor’s degree at Lakehead University. Ministry to the sick continued to beckon Sister Cecilia. In 1972, she began her studies in Clinical Pastoral Education in Toronto, Whitby, and Calgary. She returned to her beloved northern Ontario to serve in the Pastoral Care Departments at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Elliot Lake and Sudbury General Hospital. In the hospitals in which she served, Sister Cecilia could be found ministering to the ill or supporting family in difficult situations in the Emergency Department. Her familiar veil brought comfort to all to whom she ministered.
In 1993, Sister Cecilia “retired” from her pastoral care ministry, and immediately began volunteering at the Sudbury Literacy Program, tutoring adults. She also volunteered as a relief receptionist at the Family Enrichment Centre in Sudbury. Continuing her ministry to meet the needs of the suffering in our midst, Sister Cecilia attended numerous wakes and funeral services and supported those who suffered from the disease of alcoholism. Meanwhile, she continued her memberships in the Catholic Women’s League and Right to Life. Due to health issues, Sister Cecilia relocated to St. Joseph’s Motherhouse in North Bay in 2014.
Sister Cecilia’s body will be welcomed back to the Motherhouse on Sunday, September 25, 2022 at 2 pm. Prayers and a wake service will be offered at 4 pm. We will gather for the liturgy of the resurrection on Monday, September 26, 2022 at 11 am, in the Sacred Heart Chapel.
Please note visitors are required to be fully vaccinated. Visitors will also be given a Rapid Antigen Test and must wait 15 minutes before proceeding into the chapel. Masks are required.
Expressions of sympathy or donations to the works of the Congregation in memory of Sister Cecilia may be made at www.csjssm.ca
Online condolences can be made at www.hillsidefuneral.ca
Sister Cecilia Rest in Peace
