Sister Anne (Sister Anne Loyola) Scott

Sister Anne Scott

“Jesus looked up at his disciples and said:  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “ (Luke 6:20)

“Sister Anne Scott left no preference for a Scripture reading for her wake celebration. The Gospel assigned for today’s Liturgy is entirely appropriate for her life. Sister Anne’s life certainly was blessed in the fullest sense of this passage,” said Sister Paula Modaff in her commentary for Sister Anne Scott, who died Sept. 5.

Anne Spottswood Scott entered this world on March 2, 1929, in Newport News, Va., to Randolph and Bessie (Upshur) Scott. She was one of four children. She attended St. Vincent de Paul grade and high schools in Newport News. Sister Paula explained that Sister Anne came to know the Congregation in 1946 when she studied at the Immaculata Junior College in Washington, D.C. Sister Anne entered the Congregation at Maryhurst in Rockville, Md., on July 20, 1947, and she received the religious name of Sister Anne Loyola. Sister Anne earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s degree in education from Duke University.

Sister Anne’s entrance into the Congregation is indeed an unusual story. “It is significant that Sister Anne had to run away from home in order to become a Sister of Providence. Her mother was a staunch Catholic who sent Sister Anne and her sisters to Catholic grammar and high schools as well as to Catholic junior colleges. However, Sister Anne’s father was a Protestant who would not permit Sister Anne to become a religious,” said Sister Paula.

“Sister Joan Matthews, who was Sister Anne’s classmate at Immaculata, tells the story of Sister Anne’s entrance. ‘With the assistance of Sisters Marie Agatha Vonderheide and Aquinas Larney, and with her mother’s cooperation, Sister Anne pretended that she had a dental appointment. When her father dropped her off, she took a boat across the river and then took a bus to Washington, D.C. She had nothing with her other than the clothing she wore. Sister Aquinas had all of her postulant clothing waiting for her and Sister Anne was one of the first postulants to arrive on entrance day,’” shared Sister Paula.

“Eventually, Sister Anne was reconciled with her father when she was sent for a home visit after her profession. The sister who accompanied Sister Anne on that visit had such a good sense of humor that Sister Anne’s father was convinced that Sister Anne was happy,” said Sister Paula.

Sister Anne commenced teaching in 1950 at St. Mary in Aurora, Ill. In Illinois, she also taught at St. Leo and St. Agnes, Chicago. In Indianapolis, her classrooms were at St. Catherine and Holy Cross. Sister Anne spent four years at St. Clement, Lansdowne, Md., and two years at St. Elisabeth, Van Nuys, Calif. She spent several years in North Carolina at St. Therese, Wilson; Blessed Sacrament, Burlington; St. Patrick, Fayetteville; Our Lady of Consolation, Charlotte; and St. Joan of Arc, Asheville. Sister Anne ministered at the motherhouse in a variety of capacities including as a nurse’s aide, director of health-care volunteers, the Goodwin Guest House manager at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and various Central Business Office positions.

Sister Paula related a humorous story about the first time she met Sister Anne. “My first meeting with Sister Anne was in 1951 at St. Mary’s Grammar School in Aurora, Ill. I was in the third grade when Sister Anne was assigned to St. Mary’s for her first mission. The third grade shared a room with the brighter second graders and we were completely out of control when sister arrived in January. I recall our entire class being punished numerous times because we were so rowdy,” remembered Sister Paula.

“Whether or not Sister Anne knew of Saint Mother Theodore’s directive to ‘love the children first and then teach them,’ she certainly practiced it. I don’t recall anyone ever being punished by her. We continued to be disorderly and sister simply tapped the bell to get our attention. I distinctly remember thinking to myself, at age nine, ‘Sister ought to be more strict with us!’

“Several weeks ago, when Sister Anne was having difficulty breathing, she told the nurses that she was dying. When they called me, I came and spent some time with her. When the nurses had stabilized her, I asked Sister Anne if she wanted to pray. She answered in the affirmative. I asked her to choose a prayer and she began to pray the Hail Mary. I prayed it with her. When we got to the words, ‘Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death,’ Sister Anne said to me: ‘She really is with us when we die.’  And I said, ‘Yes, Sister Anne, she really is,’” concluded Sister Paula.

The Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Anne Scott was celebrated Sept. 8, with the Rev. Daniel Hopcus presiding. She is survived by one sister, Ranny Waddill of Newport News.