Sisters Serving, Living in The Diocese of Rockford
School Sisters of St. Francis
Sister Mary Doralle Gering—60 years
Sister Mary Doralle Gering is celebrating 60 years of consecrated life as a School Sister of St. Francis.
Sister Mary Doralle was born in Beloit, Wis. In the Diocese of Rockford, she served as a nurse’s aide at Aurora Borealis NR in Aurora (1968-1969); as a physical education instructor at St. Therese School; as a dental assistant to Dr. R.E. Barnes in Aurora (1969-1982), as a pastoral associate at St. Joseph Parish in Aurora (1983-1992); and as a massage therapist at Piccolo Clinic in Aurora (1994-2013). Sister Mary Doralle is retired and resides in Aurora.
Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary
Sister Marie Ange Marcotte—60 years
Sister Marie Ange Marcotte, SSCM, celebrates 60 years of consecrated life as a Servant of the Holy Heart of Mary.
She has an associate degree in Applied Science/Gerontology Mental Health, Elgin Community College; General Business/Business Machines, Illinois Community College, Champaign; Archdiocese of Chicago Ministry Formation Program, Chicago; Clinical Pastoral Education Certificate, Kankakee. She is certified through the National Association of Catholic Chaplains from 1987 to the present.
Sister Marie Ange has served as Lab/EKG Supervisor and Data Processing at Mercy Hospital, Urbana; EKG Supervisor at Mercy Medical Center, Aurora; and as Spiritual Care Director for 36 years at Ascension Saint Anne Place (St Anne Center) Rockford, until her retirement on
Jan. 1, 2023.
She currently volunteers at Ascension Saint Anne Place in the gift shop and serves on the auxiliary board as their spiritual advisor. She sets up Mass on the current spiritual care director’s days off and takes care of the chapel linens. She also drives residents from Siena to doctor/dentist appointments. Sister Marie Ange resides at St Anne Convent (Siena on Brendenwood duplex).
There will be an open house in Sister Marie Ange’s honor on July 17 from 1-3 p.m. at Siena on Brendenwood, 4444 Brendenwood Rd., Rockford. A shuttle service will be available from Holy Family Parish/Ascension St. Anne parking lot if needed.
Sisters Who Are Diocesan Natives
Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa
Sister Jean Tranel—75 years
Sister Jean Tranel (Margarida) celebrates her 75th jubilee as a Sinsinawa Dominican.
Born in East Dubuque, her father died when she was six years old, leaving her mother to raise 13 children; two entered the priesthood, and four entered religious life as Catholic sisters.
Sister Jean earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Edgewood College, Madison, Wis.; a Master of Arts in counseling at the College of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.; a certificate in religious studies from the Jesuit School of Theology, Chicago; and a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University of Chicago.
Sister Jean’s ministry was dedicated to teaching, pastoral ministry, and religious formation. She taught in Chicago, Green Bay, Wis., New York, N.Y., and Elkton, S.D. She was a guidance counselor at St. Albert the Great School, Minneapolis, Minn., and became the director of religious education at St. Thomas of Villanova Parish, Palatine.
Sister Jean was director of pastoral ministry at St. James Parish, Rockford, and then served as the director of adult faith formation for the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Ia. She was the CREDO coordinator at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Wash., and served as director of family religious education at Church of the Holy Spirit, Tempe, Ariz. In Port of Spain, Trinidad, Sister Jean was director of candidates at the House of Discernment for the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation. She then worked in adult faith formation in Venice and Naples, Fla. She currently volunteers and resides in
Muskego, Wis.
School Sisters of St. Francis
Sister Mary Anne Albert—70 years
Sister Mary Anne Albert (Bernice) is celebrating 70 years of consecrated life as a School Sister of St. Francis.
Sister Mary Anne was born in Aurora. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alverno College, a Master of Pastoral Studies degree from Loyola University, and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from the University of Detroit.
In the Diocese of Rockford, Sister Mary Anne taught at Boylan Central Catholic High School in Rockford (1963-1971) and (1975-1976), and served as a chemical technologist at OSF St. Anthony Hospital in Rockford (1971-1974). She was employed by the Rockford Province of the School Sisters of St. Francis as recruitment/formation director (1976-1979) and as personal/ministry/renewal director (1980-1983). She also served as a spiritual director at Solitude in the City in Rockford (1983-1987). Sister Mary Anne is retired and ministers through her prayer and presence at Sacred Heart
in Milwaukee.
