Sister Marianne Dwyer, CSJ

Thoughtful, efficient, affirming, patient, joyful

Marianne Dwyer was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on September 28, 1934, to parents John and Mary Evelyn (Bergen) Dwyer. Her younger siblings, Sis (Fran), John, Patrick and James arrived over the next 16 years. She recalled having a happy childhood, and when old enough, riding all around St. Louis on the local bus system. After graduating from St. Edward Elementary School, she went to Rosati-Kain High where, among other things, she loved being in the Glee Club. She especially remembered Sisters Madeleine Sophie Goldkamp, Mary Urbana Linkenheil, Anna Barbara Grinstead and St. Kevin O’Brien. “They treated me like a person ... ”

Marianne wanted to enter the community after high school but, her mother had some reservations. So Marianne spent a year working for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. That was followed by a year studying at Harris Teachers College; three years teaching at St. Edward Elementary; a year studying at St. Louis University and, finally, three years teaching at Seven Holy Founders.

Deciding it was time, she entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on September 15, 1961, and was received into the novitiate as Sister Evelyn John on August 6, 1962. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Fontbonne College
(1966) and a master’s in English literature from Ohio State University (1975).

She briefly taught primary at St. Margaret of Scotland (1966) and was then assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas High School (also 1966), followed by St. Joseph's Academy (1970), all in St. Louis. Sister Rita Louise Huebner knew sister at St. Joseph's Academy:

We both were English teachers. I truly appreciated her support when I was chair of the department. As a teacher, she
designed some of her offerings and attracted students to sign up for her class.

In 1977, S. Evelyn John moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, to teach English at Roncalli High. In 1979, she spent a couple of months as a staff member in the Province Treasurer Office, followed by secretarial work at St. Cecilia School before returning to the elementary classroom at Saints John and James in St. Louis (1981).

S. Marianne's next ministry was coordinator of publications for the Sisters of St. Joseph (1983). Remembering her from that time, S. Mary Ann Hilgeman shared,

Marianne was always helpful ... Despite the load of work she had to do for our publications, she was always patient and
accommodating to me, and made my work both easier and better.

In 1992, S. Marianne accepted an invitation from the St. Louis Public Schools to be the adult education coordinator. Even though she took a short time out of education to answer a community need as an administrative secretary at Nazareth Living Center (1993), adult education became her passion.

S. Marianne continued in adult education at the Literacy Council of Greater St. Louis (1994). Next, she ministered as a teacher at the Carondelet Family Literacy Program from 1991 to 2005. At the same time, from 2001 to 2003, she also was an ESL teacher in adult education at Blow Community Education Center. The rest of her time in adult education also included outreach at St. Joseph Center as an academic instructor (2003-2005).

In 2005, S. Marianne's involvement at Carondelet Family Literacy Program continued as academic coordinator/teacher until she retired in 2008. She moved to Nazareth Living Center in 2010 to carry out her ministry of prayer and presence.

Marie Martir, CSJA shares, [It was] "a blessing to have had her loving, gentle Spirit among us.”

Sister Helen Oates