Sr Colman

Our Sister Colman, named Jaqueline O’Dell, was born in Memphis, Tennessee, May 28, 1928, the child of Edmon Charles and Lily Myrtle O’Dell.  She is also the beloved sister of the recently deceased Roberta Smith.  While she was a student at Pennsylvania State University, she entered the Catholic Church, and to her dying day she could sing from memory the many hymns of the Methodist hymnal.  Sister completed her Master’s Degree in Education and Biological Science at Pennsylvania State University and entered Mt. St. Mary’s Abbey in Wrentham, Massachusetts June 7, 1961.  She received the habit March 17, 1962, made temporary profession October 2, 1963 and made Solemn Vows August 28, 1969.
 
Over the years Sister Colman served as cook, Junior Director, Latin teacher, secretary, dedicated member of the liturgy council, and portress, and it was in this latter service that her ability to give a good word and to show kind and genuine interest to others brought consolation and new heart to many.  She had a special gift for delighting the community also, by her wonderful cookies for every special day, and through her extraordinarily active imagination for which there was no end of plays and plots and hilarious skits that could banish all gloom.  Her inexhaustible store of knowledge in all areas was a source of wonder to all. What marked her most particularly, though, was her desire for the Eucharist which brought her into the Church in the first place and which was the abiding joy of her monastic life.  Sister was so steady physically and so faithful to all the observances into her 89 ^th year that it was easy to forget that she was that age. Thus when she announced in August that she was dying and needed to go to the hospital, we thought she was out of touch with reality, but in fact the diagnosis of brain cancer, followed by her sudden death in October, pointed to her own closeness to the Spirit within, who was preparing her for her death and for the joy of being with Jesus forever.  She was a real blessing for our community and we are so grateful for her years of faithful, humble love in our midst.