Sister Eileen Clare Goetzen

Sister Eileen Clare was born Mary Jane on March 8, 1923. She died on July 26, 2017. She was 94 years old and had been a Sister of Providence for 76 years.

Sister Eileen Clare entered the Congregation on July 22, 1941. She professed first vows on Jan. 23, 1944, and final vows on Aug. 15, 1949.

For 40 years, Sister Eileen Clare ministered as a teacher in schools in Indiana, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Illinois. During her ministry at Mother Theodore Guerin High School, she was the attendance officer and was called Dick Tracy by students because of her ability to track down students.

She loved living in Chicago despite being robbed at gun point at least twice. During one of the robberies, she voluntarily gave her purse to the thief so he wouldn’t be guilty of the crime.