Sister Rose Stephen Cento, CSJ

Sister Rose Stephen Cento, baptized Dolores Elizabeth, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1953 and was received into the novitiate in 1954. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Fontbonne College (now University), St. Louis in 1965 and a master’s degree in special education from George Peabody College (now Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College) in Nashville, Tennessee in 1971.

Sister Rose began her ministry in education in 1956 as a teacher at Little Flower Grade School in Mobile, Alabama. She moved to St. Louis in 1960 to teach at St. Anthony of Padua Grade School. Following one year of teaching in Washington, Georgia, at St. Joseph Male Orphanage and two years at Immacolata Grade School in St. Louis, Missouri, Sister Rose returned to St. Anthony of Padua’s until 1973. She served at St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in St. Louis for the next ten years. Sister Rose began teaching at St. Margaret of Scotland in St. Louis in 1983. In 1989, she returned to St. Joseph’s Home for Boys to serve as an educational therapist.

In 1992, Sister Rose served as a teacher at principal at St. Louis Academy, a day school on St. Joseph’s campus. From 1995 to 2009, Sister Rose served as assistant personnel director and part-time doctor appointment scheduler (and arranging transportation to appointments) at Nazareth Living Center.

In 2009, Sister Rose retired to the Village at Nazareth, continuing her ministry by volunteering where needed. She recently moved to Nazareth Living Center, where she is carrying out her ministry of prayer and presence.

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