Sister Mary Jane

Sister Mary Jane         ND  4052                PDF Download
(formerly, Sister Mary St. Jane)
Alice Marie ROHR

Christ the King Province, Chardon, Ohio, USA

Date and Place of Birth:      September 22, 1926  Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Place of Profession: August 16, 1946     Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Place of Death:         July 18, 2016         Health Care Center, Chardon,Ohio
Date and Place of Funeral:      July 26, 2016    Provincial Center, Chardon,Ohio
Date and Place of Burial:     July 26, 2016       Resurrection Cemetery, Chardon, Ohio

Alice was the oldest of the three children born to Edward and Matilda (Reichlin) Rohr. She and her two brothers treasured their childhood days living across the street from St. Michael Church and School on the southwest side of Cleveland. These were happy days as the close-knit family played, worked and prayed together. Alice had many opportunities to get to know and love the Sisters of Notre Dame who staffed the school directly across the street from her home. In the second grade she told her teacher that she was going to be “just like those Sisters.” Alice attended Notre Dame Academy, Cleveland, as an aspirant and entered the community as a postulant on February 2, 1944. At investment, she received the name Sister Mary St. Jane, later Sister Mary Jane.

Sister Mary Jane responded generously and with great joy to God’s call throughout her almost ninety years of life—seventy years in religious life and sixty-six years in the ministry of Catholic education. She earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John College, Cleveland, and a master’s degree from St. Louis University, Missouri. Both degrees were in Education. Sister ministered as a primary and junior high teacher, principal, tutor, diocesan regional superintendent and community elementary supervisor for the Sisters of Notre Dame. When needed, she even assisted as a bookkeeper and once reflected, “I have always tried to live well, to love much and to laugh often. We need that in elementary school teaching.”

Sister Mary Jane also ministered at Notre Dame College, South Euclid, Ohio, in the Department of Education, where she taught and supervised student teachers. Her heart, though, was always in the elementary teaching field as she had a genuine love for children. “Working with elementary school teachers is great,” she said, “ because they are patient, understanding and forever young.” Sister was an inspiration to her students, their parents and her coworkers.

In 2012, Sister moved to the Provincial Center where she continued to share her keen sense of humor, her friendly ways and her warm, welcoming smile with the Sisters and others who were homebound. With the onset of dementia, the past few years saw a decline in her health and in her ability to participate and respond with the quick smile, energy and friendly ways she had always shown. Sister lived religious life to her 70^th jubilee, handing over her life to God day by day. We are grateful for the blessing of Sister Mary Jane’s presence and the witness of her fidelity, joy and generous spirit.

May she know God’s abundant life and boundless love!