O'Shaughnessy obituaries/memorials, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana

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Name, date of obit, date submitted, submitted for the USGenWeb Archives by:

O'Shaughnessy, Mary Ellen (Sister Mary Michael)
                              d. 7 May 1994    Mar, 2001     Don Johnson

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Memorial,  Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessy (Sister Mary Michael), Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Submitted with permission of
Dorothy Dawes, O.P. -- dmdawes@accesscom.net
580 Broadway, New Orleans, LA 70118, 504-861-8155,
FAX 504-861-8718 or 865-8079
photos at http://www.dominican-sisters.net/stmarys/memoria/oshaughnessy.htm

                                In Memory of
                       [Sr. M. Michael O'Shaughnessy]
                              Dominican Sisters
                       Congregation of St. Mary
                              New Orleans

                          Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessy
                         June 26, 1928 - May 7, 1994

        She was "Mel" to her close-knit family and to
       classmates; "Mike" to her co-authors and publishers,
       "Mary Michael" or just "Michael" to her sisters. At her silver
       jubilee which she celebrated with Sr. M. Aloysius in 1972, the
       theme on the card was "Unity in Diversity." The first
       jubilarian to go contemporary, she processed up the aisle in a
       green dress.

       "Death comes so soon at the very latest." Whoever said it
       first might have had Mary Michael in mind. It's hard to
       realize that her mentor and close friend, Sr. M. Louise
       Lemoine, was also 65 when she died in 1970. Her beloved Sr. M.
       Edward Gianelloni died of cancer at 49. It was Sr. M. Edward
       who recognized Mary Michael's creative genius, and with Fr.
       Buckley's insight into "supernatural orientation," planted the
       seeds that developed into her specialty in religious
       education. From those early demonstration classes with her
       seventh grade it was a long, often painful journey to the resume
       that lists co-authorship of more than fifty books. Her doctorate
       from Catholic University was earned in the midst of the work
       on her first Benziger series, one that changed the face of
       religious education.

       Her inclination was toward psychology and her own writing and
       publishing went in that direction. Always the writing drew on
       her experience. She was a natural with people, as the people
       who filled St. Anthony's huge church for her funeral
       celebration attested. Every sort of person was there, each
       with a personal claim on her friendship, her caring self.

       When Mary Michael applied for a sabbatical in Africa, she was
       counting on a good fifteen more years of "strong ministry."
       When she returned a year ago in May, those who heard her speak
       knew she had experienced a deep conversion. Since July, when
       she first learned she had cancer, she worked on her theology
       of death, lecturing on the topic in March at Tulane to a full
       house. A few days before she died, she described the "struggle
       with mystery."

       Mary Michael was a prodigious worker, and yet she well knew
       how to play. At the end of Midnight Mass this past Christmas
       it was she who broke into the singing of "In Old Judea," with
       the community of those who grew up in Rosaryville joining in.
       She loved music, loved beauty in all its forms. She loved to
       love. Fr. Gerald Weber her friend and co-author reminded us of
       Rabbi Heschel's description of the prophet as one called to
       "afflict the comfortable."

       Prophetically she wrote in 1973 to Sr. M. Jane d'Aza, whose
       father was seriously ill: "He was such an active man. Strange
       how the Lord takes away such things so that we can meet him in
       real naked simplicity, weakness, and honesty. Ultimately we
       meet him without our talents, our achievements and worldly
       honors."

       Mary Michael taught us well. We will miss her humor, her
       originality, her freedom, her commitment to St. Mary's and to
       the deep meaning of being Dominican, her loyalty, her
       creativity, her truth, her unique and her wonderful
       person-hood.

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