IN MEMORIAM
S. Loretto Burke died July 2, 2018, at the age of 96 in Mother Margaret Hall. S. Loretto was born Mary Burke, the fifth of seven children on May 23, 1922, to James P. and Laura (Hughes) Burke in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The family moved to Springfield, Ohio, for her father’s work when she was 2. She was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 78 years.
S. Loretto attended St. Raphael School, Springfield, and graduated from Mount St. Joseph Academy in 1939. Her father died suddenly in 1925 leaving her mother with six children and expecting a seventh. In 1928 it was decided that the children would be better off in St. Joseph Orphanage, run by the Sisters of Charity. It was S. Mary Therese Reagan, recognizing her musical gifts, who taught S. Loretto piano for six years and violin for four. She owed much to the instruction she received from S. Mary Therese. S. Loretto said of that time. “To me ‘home’ had come to mean ‘being with the Sisters.’” When she chose to enter the Sisters of Charity in 1939 it was as though she had ‘come home’ more fully.
S. Loretto earned a Bachelor of Arts in music education from the College of Mount St. Joseph (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1957 and she received a Master of Arts in music from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. in 1965.
S. Loretto’s ministries brought her to New Mexico, Colorado and Ohio; she was a music educator for 30 years in elementary, high school and college. This began at St. Lawrence, Cincinnati (1942-’52); followed by St. Vincent High, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1952-’55); St. Mary High, Chillicothe, Ohio (1956-’60); Cathedral, Denver, Colorado (1960-’62); Marian High School, Cincinnati (1962-’66); Holy Name High, Cleveland, Ohio (1966-’71); and the College of Mt. St. Joseph (1971-’72).
In 1972 S. Loretto moved into administrative roles at the College of Mount St. Joseph, ministering there for the next 27 years. Her responsibilities included assistant dean, music department chair, weekend college and director of institutional advancement from 1985-’99. She was named adjunct professor of the year in 1982.
In 1976 S. Loretto wrote and produced A Valiant Woman, a musical work about St. Elizabeth Seton. As part of her preparation she spent time in Emmitsburg, Maryland, working with the letters of Elizabeth in the archives there and being in the environs of where Elizabeth lived and founded the Sisters of Charity. Fellow educators acclaimed her for being able to wed both poetry and music in this production. Throughout her long life S. Loretto was quick to credit her Sisters of Charity music teachers. It was S. Agnes Eppley who inspired her to pursue a ministry of music. “I learned that doing good was also doing what you loved doing,” S. Loretto stated at the time of her golden jubilee.
S. Loretto came to live in the Sisters of Charity nursing facility, Mother Margaret Hall, in 1997, being the first Sister to bring her computer with her in her retirement. She continued to write music, building on spreadsheets she had been using since the mid-1980s. Besides having more time to compose and pray S. Loretto particularly enjoyed reconnecting with former students of whom there were many. They brought her joy.
S. Loretto Burke died July 2, 2018, at the age of 96 in Mother Margaret Hall. S. Loretto was born Mary Burke, the fifth of seven children on May 23, 1922, to James P. and Laura (Hughes) Burke in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The family moved to Springfield, Ohio, for her father’s work when she was 2. She was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 78 years.
S. Loretto attended St. Raphael School, Springfield, and graduated from Mount St. Joseph Academy in 1939. Her father died suddenly in 1925 leaving her mother with six children and expecting a seventh. In 1928 it was decided that the children would be better off in St. Joseph Orphanage, run by the Sisters of Charity. It was S. Mary Therese Reagan, recognizing her musical gifts, who taught S. Loretto piano for six years and violin for four. She owed much to the instruction she received from S. Mary Therese. S. Loretto said of that time. “To me ‘home’ had come to mean ‘being with the Sisters.’” When she chose to enter the Sisters of Charity in 1939 it was as though she had ‘come home’ more fully.
S. Loretto earned a Bachelor of Arts in music education from the College of Mount St. Joseph (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1957 and she received a Master of Arts in music from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. in 1965.
S. Loretto’s ministries brought her to New Mexico, Colorado and Ohio; she was a music educator for 30 years in elementary, high school and college. This began at St. Lawrence, Cincinnati (1942-’52); followed by St. Vincent High, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1952-’55); St. Mary High, Chillicothe, Ohio (1956-’60); Cathedral, Denver, Colorado (1960-’62); Marian High School, Cincinnati (1962-’66); Holy Name High, Cleveland, Ohio (1966-’71); and the College of Mt. St. Joseph (1971-’72).
In 1972 S. Loretto moved into administrative roles at the College of Mount St. Joseph, ministering there for the next 27 years. Her responsibilities included assistant dean, music department chair, weekend college and director of institutional advancement from 1985-’99. She was named adjunct professor of the year in 1982.
In 1976 S. Loretto wrote and produced A Valiant Woman, a musical work about St. Elizabeth Seton. As part of her preparation she spent time in Emmitsburg, Maryland, working with the letters of Elizabeth in the archives there and being in the environs of where Elizabeth lived and founded the Sisters of Charity. Fellow educators acclaimed her for being able to wed both poetry and music in this production. Throughout her long life S. Loretto was quick to credit her Sisters of Charity music teachers. It was S. Agnes Eppley who inspired her to pursue a ministry of music. “I learned that doing good was also doing what you loved doing,” S. Loretto stated at the time of her golden jubilee.
S. Loretto came to live in the Sisters of Charity nursing facility, Mother Margaret Hall, in 1997, being the first Sister to bring her computer with her in her retirement. She continued to write music, building on spreadsheets she had been using since the mid-1980s. Besides having more time to compose and pray S. Loretto particularly enjoyed reconnecting with former students of whom there were many. They brought her joy.
IN MEMORIAM
S. Loretto Burke died July 2, 2018, at the age of 96 in Mother Margaret Hall. S. Loretto was born Mary Burke, the fifth of seven children on May 23, 1922, to James P. and Laura (Hughes) Burke in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The family moved to Springfield, Ohio, for her father’s work when she was 2. She was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 78 years.
S. Loretto attended St. Raphael School, Springfield, and graduated from Mount St. Joseph Academy in 1939. Her father died suddenly in 1925 leaving her mother with six children and expecting a seventh. In 1928 it was decided that the children would be better off in St. Joseph Orphanage, run by the Sisters of Charity. It was S. Mary Therese Reagan, recognizing her musical gifts, who taught S. Loretto piano for six years and violin for four. She owed much to the instruction she received from S. Mary Therese. S. Loretto said of that time. “To me ‘home’ had come to mean ‘being with the Sisters.’” When she chose to enter the Sisters of Charity in 1939 it was as though she had ‘come home’ more fully.
S. Loretto earned a Bachelor of Arts in music education from the College of Mount St. Joseph (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1957 and she received a Master of Arts in music from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. in 1965.
S. Loretto’s ministries brought her to New Mexico, Colorado and Ohio; she was a music educator for 30 years in elementary, high school and college. This began at St. Lawrence, Cincinnati (1942-’52); followed by St. Vincent High, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1952-’55); St. Mary High, Chillicothe, Ohio (1956-’60); Cathedral, Denver, Colorado (1960-’62); Marian High School, Cincinnati (1962-’66); Holy Name High, Cleveland, Ohio (1966-’71); and the College of Mt. St. Joseph (1971-’72).
In 1972 S. Loretto moved into administrative roles at the College of Mount St. Joseph, ministering there for the next 27 years. Her responsibilities included assistant dean, music department chair, weekend college and director of institutional advancement from 1985-’99. She was named adjunct professor of the year in 1982.
In 1976 S. Loretto wrote and produced A Valiant Woman, a musical work about St. Elizabeth Seton. As part of her preparation she spent time in Emmitsburg, Maryland, working with the letters of Elizabeth in the archives there and being in the environs of where Elizabeth lived and founded the Sisters of Charity. Fellow educators acclaimed her for being able to wed both poetry and music in this production. Throughout her long life S. Loretto was quick to credit her Sisters of Charity music teachers. It was S. Agnes Eppley who inspired her to pursue a ministry of music. “I learned that doing good was also doing what you loved doing,” S. Loretto stated at the time of her golden jubilee.
S. Loretto came to live in the Sisters of Charity nursing facility, Mother Margaret Hall, in 1997, being the first Sister to bring her computer with her in her retirement. She continued to write music, building on spreadsheets she had been using since the mid-1980s. Besides having more time to compose and pray S. Loretto particularly enjoyed reconnecting with former students of whom there were many. They brought her joy.
S. Loretto Burke died July 2, 2018, at the age of 96 in Mother Margaret Hall. S. Loretto was born Mary Burke, the fifth of seven children on May 23, 1922, to James P. and Laura (Hughes) Burke in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The family moved to Springfield, Ohio, for her father’s work when she was 2. She was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 78 years.
S. Loretto attended St. Raphael School, Springfield, and graduated from Mount St. Joseph Academy in 1939. Her father died suddenly in 1925 leaving her mother with six children and expecting a seventh. In 1928 it was decided that the children would be better off in St. Joseph Orphanage, run by the Sisters of Charity. It was S. Mary Therese Reagan, recognizing her musical gifts, who taught S. Loretto piano for six years and violin for four. She owed much to the instruction she received from S. Mary Therese. S. Loretto said of that time. “To me ‘home’ had come to mean ‘being with the Sisters.’” When she chose to enter the Sisters of Charity in 1939 it was as though she had ‘come home’ more fully.
S. Loretto earned a Bachelor of Arts in music education from the College of Mount St. Joseph (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1957 and she received a Master of Arts in music from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. in 1965.
S. Loretto’s ministries brought her to New Mexico, Colorado and Ohio; she was a music educator for 30 years in elementary, high school and college. This began at St. Lawrence, Cincinnati (1942-’52); followed by St. Vincent High, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1952-’55); St. Mary High, Chillicothe, Ohio (1956-’60); Cathedral, Denver, Colorado (1960-’62); Marian High School, Cincinnati (1962-’66); Holy Name High, Cleveland, Ohio (1966-’71); and the College of Mt. St. Joseph (1971-’72).
In 1972 S. Loretto moved into administrative roles at the College of Mount St. Joseph, ministering there for the next 27 years. Her responsibilities included assistant dean, music department chair, weekend college and director of institutional advancement from 1985-’99. She was named adjunct professor of the year in 1982.
In 1976 S. Loretto wrote and produced A Valiant Woman, a musical work about St. Elizabeth Seton. As part of her preparation she spent time in Emmitsburg, Maryland, working with the letters of Elizabeth in the archives there and being in the environs of where Elizabeth lived and founded the Sisters of Charity. Fellow educators acclaimed her for being able to wed both poetry and music in this production. Throughout her long life S. Loretto was quick to credit her Sisters of Charity music teachers. It was S. Agnes Eppley who inspired her to pursue a ministry of music. “I learned that doing good was also doing what you loved doing,” S. Loretto stated at the time of her golden jubilee.
S. Loretto came to live in the Sisters of Charity nursing facility, Mother Margaret Hall, in 1997, being the first Sister to bring her computer with her in her retirement. She continued to write music, building on spreadsheets she had been using since the mid-1980s. Besides having more time to compose and pray S. Loretto particularly enjoyed reconnecting with former students of whom there were many. They brought her joy.
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