Sister Constance "Connie" Heun

Generous, kind, enjoyed laughter

John and Hilda (Bruns) Heun, of St. Louis, welcomed their third daughter, Constance, on August 18, 1933. She began kindergarten at St. Francis de Sales School. The rest of her elementary education was received at Holy Family School, which was staffed by the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of O’Fallon, Missouri. When it was time for secondary education, Connie chose Rosati-Kain High School, where she became acquainted with the Sisters of St. Joseph. Sister Anna Barbara was the St. Joseph sister she remembered most from her time at Rosati-Kain. After graduation, Connie entered the community on September, 15, 1951. In March of 1952, she received the habit and the name Sister Mary Doris.

After pronouncing her first vows in March of 1954, S. Connie was assigned to teach primary children at St. Thomas of Aquin in St. Louis. In 1959, she moved to All Saints Grade School, also in St. Louis. A momentous change came in 1960 as S. Connie was sent to teach at St. Anthony School in Kailua Oahu, Hawaii. St. Joseph Grade School in Waipahu, Oahu, Hawaii, became her home in 1963, followed by an assignment two years later on the “big island” at St. Theresa Grade School in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Another major change came in 1967 as S. Connie returned to St. Louis and taught intermediate children at St. Edward Grade School. Her next assignment, in 1971, was as an audio visual coordinator and librarian at St. Francis de Sales in Denver, Colorado. She returned to St. Louis again in 1978, holding that same position at Most Holy Rosary and St. Gregory grade schools. In 1979, she continued just at Most Holy Rosary but added computer instructor along with her other two ministries. Sister Connie continued in these three roles at St. Adalbert (1984) and St. Anthony of Padua (1985) grade schools as well. She was then assigned to the St. Joseph Provincial House in 1997, where she ministered in the Development Office.

In 2006, S. Connie became a volunteer at Nazareth Living Center in St. Louis, where she continued to serve until moving there in 2018. She was then a part of the prayer and presence ministry.

Sister Jean Paul Selissen shares, "One of the things I remember about Connie was her love to design and make things out of plastic canvas. She generously shared what she made.”

Sister Mary Ann Boes got to know S. Connie at the Village: “... She was a lot of fun. She was very light hearted and made me laugh. She was her own unique person and was proud to be so. Connie thought a lot of her family and friends. I am happy to call her my friend, too.”

Jude McKay, S. Connie's niece and goddaughter, shares,

In some ways, she was necessarily distanced by a vocation. She lived in a religious community, after all. Sometimes in Hawaii, Colorado. Doing work I didn’t witness. Serving other communities that needed her. Still, always finding a way to be there for me. Through a greeting card or a souvenir, she showed me where she was. Connie never, never spoke an unkind word around me. If I see her, I see her with a smile. I don’t remember her instructing me, but as I look back, I see that she was a model, a vigilant example for me, of living a life of love, service and kindness to all. I felt her love. I cherished her attention when I showed her a drawing or told her a childish joke. In full cumbersome habit, she played catch with me. Years later, she gave me her own catcher’s mitt ... she was there for my mother, when she needed to live at Nazareth and when she passed over. Connie helped make me who I am. Bless you, Connie. We will miss you so.”

By Sister Helen Oates