Sister Grace Marie Meehan

Sister Grace Marie Meehan, SP died on March 2, 2024, at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. She was 93 years old and had been a Sister of Providence for 76 years.

Commentary

by Sister Denise Wilkinson, SP

Some of us called her Sister Grace Marie or just Sister. Some dropped the “sister” and went for Grace Marie. Some called her Aunt Grace. Many called her Gracie.

A variety of names from a wide variety of family members, ministry partners, lifelong friends, care givers here in our health care, bingo and casino buddies and Sisters of Providence.

Yet, from that wide variety of people, the same descriptions of Sister Grace Marie emerged again and again. Fun loving, faithful friend, beloved family member, never met a stranger, dedicated nurse, practical and realistic, compassionate and always filled with faith, comfortable talking about God and praying with others, said Sister Denise Wilkinson in her commentary for Sister Grace Marie Meehan, who passed away on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. She was 93 years old and had been a Sister of Providence for 76 years.

Sister Denise continued: One Sister of Providence described Grace Marie as “compassionate to the core; compassion was in her DNA.”

So, what about Gracie’s family DNA? Grace Marie Meehan was born on Nov. 7, 1930, to John and Mary Gallagher Meehan in Chicago. Both parents were born in County Donegal, Ireland. Her much loved brothers, Hugh and John, are deceased. Many devoted nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and cousins survive her.

All of us who knew Gracie knew she was Irish to the core. Her many trips to Ireland, her love of all things and people Irish attest to that – to say anything of the fact that she could dance a very mean Irish jig.

Besides being Irish to the core, Grace Marie was a Sister of Providence to the core – a true daughter of Mother Theodore. Providence was also part of her DNA.

It was at St. Andrew’s Grade School in Chicago that she first met the Sisters of Providence. That meeting led to her coming to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods for high school in the Providence Aspirancy.

In January 1948 she entered the Sisters of Providence. She professed temporary and perpetual vows in 1950 and 1955 respectively.

Over her 75 years as a Sister of Providence, her ministries included 22 years in elementary schools, serving as a member of the Congregation’s Corporate Renewal team, being administrator of the Congregation Infirmary and a variety of ministries in health care. To her credit, she began her career in nursing at the age of 50 – a profession and ministry she loved.

“Compassionate to the core” – who wouldn’t want to be described that way? Except that the definition of compassion is “to suffer together.” What made Gracie’s compassion so authentic was her very lightheartedness, her gift for seeing into the hearts of others and the practical, hopeful way she relieved others’ burdens – burdens like loneliness, fear of dying, of not getting well, family worries. Gracie seemed to hold both joy and sorrow simultaneously and with grace.

Because she did embrace those opposites, Sister Grace Marie Meehan heard and lived these words from the Gospel of Luke:

“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap; they have neither storeroom nor bard; and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And can any of you by worrying, add a single hour to your lifespan? If you cannot do so small a thing as that, why worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field which is alive today and tomorrow thrown into the oven – how much more will God clothe you?”

Grace Marie relished God’s love and care for her. She lived that love by sharing it with whomever she met.

Nieces and nephews, and other family members and friends experienced her lighthearted, authentic caring in so many ways. These are their words:

But we know life isn’t all fun and games and good times. Otherwise, Jesus wouldn’t have to tell us not to worry, to remind us ‘worrying does not add a single hour to our lifespans.’

Certainly, Grace Marie knew times of worry, of anxiety – all of us do. But our own worries and anxieties can provide us with empathy for others. This seems very true of Grace Marie.

Her empathy always shone brightly but most especially during her years in health care ministry.

A lifelong learner, she participated in a variety of seminars to hone her skills. To name only a few: The Pain Zone; Injection Concentrate: An Important Advance in the Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer; Practical Strategies for Optimizing Pain Management; Cancer Nursing for the Elderly; Excellence in Medical Surgical Nursing.

Grace Marie’s service in the field of health care continued after her retirement. She received an award from Presence Health in Evanston, Illinois, for 8,000 volunteer service hours. The award read” “Your PRESENCE helps to provide the magic in our patient and family centered care.”

It comes as no surprise that St. Francis Hospital recognized her with their Service Excellent Award named “Someone You Should Know.”

Well, Sister Grace Marie, Grace Marie, Aunt Grace, Gracie, we have had the joy of knowing you. Your presence will indeed be missed. We will miss your wit, your dancing and your exuberant cry of BINGO!

We will miss your gracious smile, your open-hearted acceptance of us and your calm and reassuring patience.

At the same time, we will praise that Providence who put us all on the same path to the fullness of life. We will praise that Providence who brings us together now to remember and celebrate you, Grace Marie.

We know we will see you again. And, since we don’t know what heaven is like, it’s fair to imagine, when our turns come, we will find you where your family always found you when on vacation – playing the slot machines or playing bingo. It’s possible, isn’t it Gracie?

Funeral information

Funeral services for Sister Grace Marie took place on Monday, March 11, and Tuesday, March 12, in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

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

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

Complete Ministry

In Indiana: Teacher, St. Agnes, Indianapolis (1950-51); Teacher, Our Lady of Greenwood, Greenwood (1959-62); Teacher/Principal, Our Lady of Greenwood, Greenwood (1961-68); Teacher, St. Mary, Richmond (1968-69); Teacher/Principal, St. Michael, Greenfield (1969-72); Corporate Renewal Team, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (1972-76); Assistant Administration, Providence Infirmary, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (1976); Administrator Infirmary, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (1976-81); Health Care Services/Registered Nurse, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (1983-84); Prayer, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods (2022-24).

In Maryland: Staff Nurse, Carroll Manor, Hyattsville (1984-85); Charge Nurse, Carroll Manor, Hyattsville (1985-86).

In Illinois: Teacher, St. Mary, Aurora (1953-55); Registered Nurse/Staff-Charge Nurse, St. Francis Hospital, Evanston (1986-2005); Area Assistant/Holistic Health Care/Coordinator of Volunteers, St. Francis Hospital (2005-16); Volunteer, Alexian Brothers Hospital, Elk Grove (2017-19).

In New Mexico: Parish Volunteer, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Albuquerque (2020-22).

In Oklahoma: Teacher, Immaculate Conception, Tulsa (1951-53).

In California: Teacher, St. Joseph, Hawthorne (1955-59).