Sister Lucille Nolan (formerly Sister Mary Lucille)

A reading from the Prophet Isaiah – part of one of the readings for the Nativity of the Lord:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing; They rejoice before you as people rejoice at harvest, as they exult when dividing the spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, the rod of their taskmaster, you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. For every boot that tramped in battle, every cloak rolled in blood, will be burned as fuel for fire.

“For a child is born to us …”

The Word of God (Thanks be to God).

The first-born child of Daniel Paul and Helena Cofield Nolan was well-named.

Mary Lucille Nolan — Lucy, as she came to be known after she entered the Sisters of Providence. Lucy, from the Latin, meaning “of the Light” – our Sister Lucy was indeed a bearer of light, said General Superior Sister Dawn Tomaszewski in her commentary for Sister Lucille Nolan, formerly Sister Mary Lucille, who passed away on Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. She was 94-years-old and had been a Sister of Providence for 76 years.

Sister Dawn continued: Those of us gathered here today and tuning into celebrate her transition into new life and new light knew her by many titles:

• Sister of Providence for 76 years,
• Oldest sister of Carol and John, who survive her, and Dan and Nancy, who preceded her in death,
• Aunt, great-aunt and great-great-aunt of a whole pack of Nolans, that now include Torreses and Buchanans, DiRenzas and Shipleys; Thomases, Blaszyzyks and Welgats – many of whom are with us or watching via Livestream. (I won’t even start in on the cousins, some of whom are also with us today, including our own Sister Ann Sullivan), and
• Her brother John called her his best friend since he was a kid. Certainly, our Sister Mary Fran Keusal shared that same kind of friendship. And for Sister Joyce Brophy, Lucy was her only remaining band member.

To others, Lucy was: A musician, educator, role model and justice seeker, choir leader, animal lover and an awesome woman of Providence.

But I believe that all of us who loved her would agree with what her dear friend Sister Jeremy Gallet said: “Lucy was a light-bearer, leading the way and always seeing what was possible.”

Mary Lucille Nolan was born in Galesburg, Illinois, on March 11, 1929. She attended St. Joseph Grade School and Costa Catholic High School.

What I didn’t know about Lucy was that she and her sister Carol attended the Galesburg School of Fine Arts. According to Carol, they were quite the stars. Sometime ask Carol to describe their performance of “Little Sir Echo.” Lucy, of course, was on stage leading the song: Carol was the echo off stage. At the end of the song, they both appeared onstage and entertained the crowd with acrobatics, including 5-year-old Carol’s summersault into Lucy’s outstretched hands.

However, it was Lucy’s performance in “Snow White” and as Snow White that led Sister Margaret Angela, the fourth-grade teacher, to exclaim: “those children are certainly destined for Carnegie Hall.”

Lucy, as we know, chose Providence Hall instead. After graduating from Costa Catholic in 1947, she entered the Sisters of Providence a month later on July 22, 1947, the first of three Nolan sisters to become Sisters of Providence. Their aunt, Sister Modesta, preceded them into the community.

Lucy would return to Costa Catholic High School some 26 years later in 1973, and spend 10 years there as a music teacher, culminating an almost 36-year career as a school music teacher. During that 26-year timeframe, she earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and a master’s in music education from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana.

Her other school music ministry sites included: St. John, Robstown, Texas; Blessed Sacrament, Burlington, North Carolina; and Corpus Christi, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In Indiana, she was the music teacher at St. Bridget, Catholic Grade School and Holy Cross School, all in Indianapolis; and St. Ann in Terre Haute.

In Illinois, she was the music teacher at St. Joseph in Downers Grove; and Immaculate Heart and the aforementioned Costa Catholic, both in Galesburg.

Good friend and longtime LGU member Sister Diane Mason provided a glimpse of what it was like to live and teach with Lucy. Diane was assigned to Immaculate Heart School as her first mission. Diane said, “As I boarded the bus to head to Galesburg, I was petrified. So many nuns laughing and talking and here I was knowing not one of them.”

All of a sudden, Diane heard someone call out her name and say, “I hear you’re coming to IHM. You will love it here. I love it there as well and I teach music. So, I will be teaching your first-graders.”

Diane said, “That hello, that welcoming smile brought a sense of great peace into my heart. And that was just the first of many hellos over these many years of knowing Lucy.”

As a result of experiences like these, Diane called Lucy “that point of light that offers hope.”

Sister Jeremy also taught with Lucy and called her an enabler of children. “She brought out the best in them. Any child who wanted to perform could … nothing was impossible. She was the perfect embodiment of Mother Theodore’s words: “Love the children first and then teach them.”

One of those students, took time to send this memory: “Sister Lucy had to be one of my all-time favorite teachers at Costa Catholic School … she always had her guitar! She played at all the school masses and loved the song ‘Lord of the Dance.’ She was happy and energetic and just a joy as a teacher.”

It turns out that Lucy could work her magic on adults as well. After leaving Costa and classroom teaching, she became involved in parish music and liturgy. She shared her talents with the people of St. Isaac Jogues Parish in Niles; St. Dismas Parish, Waukegan; and St. James Parish, Sauk Village, all in Illinois.

One of her choir members from St. Dismas wrote: “Her love of music brought on wonderful church productions and music for all the masses and church celebrations. Our choice practices were the BEST. Never knew you could have so much fun! Sister Lucy did the music at my wedding 33 years ago and I remember it all.”

She referred to Lucy (and her sidekick Sister Mary Fran) as bright lights. “… The love they shared with all was heart-warming and inspirational.”

A similar member was shared by a couple from Homewood, Illinois, who met Sisters Lucy and Mary Fran while walking their dogs – of course! Their relationship grew through their shared life in the local church community. “The door to the sisters’ house was always open with a warm welcome and kind words. They inspired us, and a great many others, with their lives that shined brightly with kind acts of service that many times involved them sharing delicious food cooked by them with lots of love. … We are grateful that God placed Sister Lucy in our lives.”

Sister Mary Fran pointed out that Lucy’s greatest source of energy and delight came from gatherings – family gatherings, community celebrations, choir practices, prayer services, the “nunapoloosa.” And perhaps one of Lucy’s greatest gifts was that she herself created gatherings. According to Mary Fran, Lucy would produce one or two musicals per year in the parishes where they worked – beyond the regular assignment of liturgies. “The more people were involved, the better she liked it,” Mary Fran said. “So, it included children and adults alike – helping with scenery, costumes, programs, clean-up. This was one amazing Sister of Providence.”

Lucy’s niece and Godchild Lucy related this story about her amazing Aunt Lucy.

Upon passing a billboard recently that included a picture of a country singer that said, “Find the good in everybody.  KINDNESS – Pass it on,” Niece Lucy asked these questions: Is the person pictured there Aunt (Sister) Lucy Kind? Is she Aunt Lucy, selfless, caring, compassionate, patient and unconditionally kind? Imagine being Kind with people who you know may be wrong, have different opinions, or someone you really don’t care for.

“Aunt Lucy was kind with a big smile. Why? … she found the good in everybody. So maybe the next time we have the opportunity to be kind, we should think of Aunt (Sister) Lucy and be unconditionally Kind. We think that she should have been on that billboard.”

Another of her nieces, Jennifer, offered similar sentiments: “My memories of Aunt Lucy are all positive and joyful. As a child growing up, I always felt surrounded by love from all my aunts, Lucy, Annie, Carol and Nancy. They made me feel special and I looked forward to visiting with them. Aunt Lucy always expressed an interest in what was happening in my life and was never judgmental.

“Aunt Lucy served as a role model to me and my children … her positive outlook and support have had a significant impact on all of our lives.

“Additionally, the legacy of teaching that began with my Grandma Helena, passed to her daughters, and passed to myself and my daughters is another example of how the influence of every generation impacts the next.

“We are truly blessed to have the family that we have and will forever miss Aunt Lucy’s smile, laughter, and positivity.”

I think we will all miss Lucy. In these last years of her life as her memory began to wane, what never faded was her smile. Lately, she would ask me, “How is Nancy” — remembering, of course, that her sister Nancy and I lived together; not remembering that Nancy had already gone home to God. And eventually I would say in response, “Nancy is doing great, Lucy,” because, in fact, Lucy helped me remember that Nancy is, in fact, doing great.

So, it pleased me to no end to find out that as Lucy hung onto the last breaths of her life, her mom, her brother Dan and sister Nancy appeared to her. No wonder, as she left her room in the Intensive Care Unit and headed for hospice care, she was able to say, “I’ll see you all in heaven.” Is anyone surprised that she joined the angelic chorus on Christmas night?

Lucy, thank you for your incredible lightness of being. In the words of Isaiah, “You have brought us abundant joy and great rejoicing.”

So, let me end with the words of your theme song. May it live in us as it has lived in you these 94 years:

“Let every instrument be tuned for praise – let all rejoice who have a voice to raise and May God give you grace to sing always – Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!”

Funeral services for Sister Lucille took place on Tuesday, Jan. 9, and Wednesday, Jan. 10, at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

Memorial contributions may be made in honor of Sister Lucille to the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

We welcome you to share your memories of Sister Lucille in the comment section below.

Sister Lucille Nolan (formerly Sister Mary Lucille)

Complete Ministry

In Indiana: Teacher, St. Bridget, Indianapolis (1950); Teacher, St. Ann, Terre Haute (1955-56); Teacher, Cathedral Grade School and Holy Cross, Indianapolis (1968-69); Ministry to the Homebound, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and West Terre Haute (2018-2022); Prayer, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (2022-23).

In Texas: Teacher, St. John, Robstown (1950-51; 1956-61).

In North Carolina: Teacher, Blessed Sacrament, Burlington (1951-54).

In Illinois: Teacher, St. Joseph, Downers Grove (1961-65); Teacher, Immaculate Heart/Costa, Galesburg (1965-68); Teacher, Costa Catholic, Galesburg (1973-76; 1976-83); Teacher, Church Musician, St. Isaac Jogues, Niles (1983-85); Director of Music and Liturgy, St. Dismas Parish, Waukegan (1985-94); Director of Music and Liturgy, St. James Parish, Sauk Village (1994-2004); Assistant to Religious Education/Children’s Music, St. James Parish, Sauk Village (2004-08); Ministry to the Homebound, Lansing, Chicago Heights and Sauk Village (2009-10); Volunteer — Hospice Bereavement/Ministry to the Homebound, Horizon Hospice, Olympia Fields, Lansing and Sauk Village (2010-16); Volunteer — Hospice Care/Ministry to the Homebound, Journey Care Hospice, Mokena and Sauk Village (2016-18).

In Oklahoma: Teacher, Corpus Christi, Oklahoma City (1969-73).