Sister Joyce Rowland

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Rowland, Sister Joyce 94, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, Minnesota, died at Assisi Heights July 19, 2017. Cecilia Mary Rowland was born October 31, 1922 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to John F. and Olivia (Joyce) Rowland. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1942 from Annunciation Parish, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sister Joyce made her first vows in 1944 and Perpetual Vows in 1947. In 1949 she received a BA Degree in English from the College of St. Teresa in Winona, Minnesota, in 1953 a Master of Arts in English Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and in 1962 she earned a Ph. D. in Philosophy from St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri. She also was a student in Franciscan Studies at St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, New York in 1982. Sister Joyce taught at several schools in Minnesota: Junior High students at Queen of Angels School in Austin (1944-1947), English and Spanish at Lourdes High School, Rochester (1949-1950), and English at St. Augustine High School, Austin (1950-1952). From 1953 to 1956, Sister Joyce served as Postulant Mistress for the Franciscan Sisters of Rochester. On completion of her Ph. D. in 1962, she served as Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the College of St. Teresa (CST), Winona, Minnesota from 1961-1967, during which time she also served as Assistant Academic Dean from 1965-1967. On completing a Ford Fellowship in 1967, she served as Associate Professor, Academic Dean and Vice-President at CST to 1969 and then served as President of the College (1969-1980). Following her years at the College of St. Teresa, Sister Joyce taught elementary students at St. Marys School, Las Animas, Colorado; served the poor and lepers in Managua, Nicaragua; taught leprosy (Hansen's Disease) patients at the public health hospital in Carville, Louisiana; and did parish outreach ministry to the sick, homebound and terminally ill members of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Green Valley, Arizona. She also served as a volunteer at St. Joseph Parish in Clements, Minnesota (2001-2006) and St. Joseph Parish in Lamberton, Minnesota 2006-2008. She retired to Assisi Heights in 2008. During her professional career, Sister Joyce served on several national boards, among them: Board of National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (1975-1977), Board of National Coalition of American Nuns (1974-1978), National Association of Women's Educational Programs to which she was appointed by President Gerald Ford (1975-1978), Minnesota Council of Churches Region X Ecumenical Committee (1972-1974) and the National council of Administrative Women in Education (1974-1977). Sister Joyce is survived by her brother, Stephen, of Bloomington, Minnesota, and her sisters Mary McKinley of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, Olive Hedrick of Houston, Texas and Sheila Delaney of Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as her Franciscan Sisters with whom she shared life for seventy-five years. She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers: John, Peter and Dermot and one sister, Suzanne Hirsch. A Funeral Mass will be held Monday, July 24, 2017, at 11 o'clock in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes, Assisi Heights, Rochester. A Prayer Service begins at 9 am Monday followed by Visitation up to the time of the Funeral. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery, Rochester. Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Development, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.

Published on July 22, 2017