- May 10, 2020 Obituaries
September 5, 1926 – May 9, 2020
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sister Roberta Houlihan who passed away on May 9, 2020, at Nazareth Living Center in St. Louis, Missouri. She was 93 years of age.
Sister Roberta Cecile Houlihan, baptized Phyllis E., was born on September 5, 1926, in Peoria, Illinois, to parents Leo Kearney and Erma Marie (Roth) Houlihan. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on September 15, 1944, and made her final profession on January 1, 1950. She received a bachelor’s in mathematics from Fontbonne College in 1958 and a master’s in counseling and guidance from the University of Notre Dame in 1966.
In 1947, Sister Roberta began her ministry as a teacher at St. Edward Grade School in St. Louis. A few months later, she taught at Our Lady of the Presentation Grade School (1947-1950), followed by St. Thomas of Aquin Grade School (1950-1951) and St. Anthony of Padua Grade School (1951-1955), all in St. Louis.
She then taught at St. Bede the Venerable Grade School in Chicago from 1955 to 1959, and at St. Joseph Academy in Green Bay until 1961. In the early 1960s, she continued teaching at St. Joseph’s Academy in St. Louis and Machebeuf High School in Denver. Back in St. Louis, Sister Roberta served 10 years as counselor and teacher at Rosati-Kain High School from 1964 to 1974.
For the next 38 years, Sister Roberta served in Peoria, Illinois. She was a social worker at Catholic Social Services until 1978. For the next 10 years, she taught and was a counselor at Academy of Our Lady/Spalding Institute. In 1988, she began 18 years of service at Peoria Notre Dame High School as a counselor. While in Peoria, she served on many Cursillo teams and renewal weekends.
Sister Roberta retired in 2006. Since 2012, she has resided at Nazareth Living Center in St. Louis where she carried out her ministry of prayer and presence.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province, 6400 Minnesota Ave., St. Louis, MO 63111-2899. Donate online.