Sister Ann Roddy, SSND

Sister Ann Roddy, SSND

1937-2013

Ann was born in St. Louis, Mo. on June 22, 1937. She was the eldest child of Hugh and Loretta (Nicholson) Roddy. Of her family she wrote, “In succeeding years, I was privileged to have two sisters, Lynn and Miriam, and three brothers, Hugh, William, and Robert.”

Their happy grammar school days were spent in St. Aloysius, taught by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. It was in the year of both her First Holy Communion and Confirmation that Ann first thought of becoming a religious. Over the next years this thought wavered, but persisted.  The family heard of her hope of becoming an aspirant when she completed the eighth grade. However, Ann adjusted to her parents request for her to finish high school before entering the convent.

Ann enrolled as a freshman at Notre Dame High School in St. Louis. She gave this acount, “With the years at Notre Dame, my desire to enter the convent became more fervent.  After completing the second year, I attended summer school and was able to complete the requirements for graduation in three years. “

“In the late summer of that year, with two other girls from St. Aloysius, Marie Torno (Sister Marie Theodore) and Mary Ann Morley (Sister Edward Maureen) I received the bonnet of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in our parish church.” These candidates and their companions began their spiritual and professional preparation as religious and as teachers at Sancta Maria in Ripa in St. Louis. 

Ann was received into the congregation, donned the habit, and was given the name, Mary Kevin in1955.  She wrote, “After a year spent in preparation for the joyful day of consecration, I professed my vows of poverty, chastity and obedience on August 3, 1956. 

As newly professed Sister Kevin she was missioned to be art teacher for the children in Holy Angels School in E. St. Louis, Ill.  As she taught she continued her studies earning a B.A. in art from Notre Dame College; an M.A. in Art from the University of Notre Dame, and an M.A. in Theology from St. Mary University in San Antonio.

After five years in her first mission Ann continued her journey in the South.  Now it was secondary youth she taught of God and his Beauty--- Art, and Theology and Mechanical Drawing at Mount Carmel High School in Houston---then it was for the boarders at St. Mary of the Pines in Chatawa, Miss--- now on to Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge, and Immaculata High School in Marrero, La.

Of her years in the classroom she said, “I love art and I really enjoyed teaching it at any level. Each place was so different from the others.  I was enlivened by all my students and was proud of their accomplishments.” This enjoyment was reflected in a Mt. Carmel student’s response on hearing of her death.  “Sister Kevin was my favorite teacher. She always had a smile and a lot of patience with each student.  I have never forgotten her over the past 50 years and she will continue to be in my memories.”

Between her two last assignments she reflected,  “After 20 years in the classroom, I took a sabbatical at Lebh Shomea House of Prayer. Lebh Shomea means listening heart in Hebrew.  I listened and I prayed.”

On return to the classroom in Marrero, she taught for two years until policy determined that the SSNDs would leave that school.  The outlook for finding another teaching position was dim, for the economy crunch was such that the arts had become “unnecessary frills.”

In the interim Sister returned to her baptismal name, Ann.  1979 found her assigned to discern her way as an artist and a member of the Redemptorist High School community in New Orleans.  This was to be a very different path to her education ministry. It wasn’t long before she discovered that in order to sustain herself she would need to do what other New Orleans artists do---load up her cart with easel, canvases, paint, and brushes and head toward the heart of New Orleans, Jackson Square.

Sister Ann described her ministry, “I display some of my work in the Jackson Square area. While there, I paint and draw. I also attempt to share the mystery of God’s presence in our midst in whatever manner seems possible in meetings with people.  At the beginning and ending of most days, I join a group of Christians at Tau House for Lauds and Eucharist, and Vespers.  Additional ministry to members of the community flows from the gift of presence to each other.”

Ann continued, “In the early ‘80s I awakened to the fact that so many of the young men who were so affirming of me as an artist were becoming ill.  Hospital visits and funerals becme too frequent. The HIV/AIDs virus was recognized.”  Tau House sensed a need and extended its ministry into Project Lazarus, a haven, a shelter, a retreat for AIDS sufferers and their care takers. 

Sister Ann worked with the Franciscan founders of Tau House and Project Lazarus during the next two decades.  The virus evolved from a deadly disease into a manageable illness.  And Sister Ann’s ministry evolved.  Still the artist on the Square, she became the Director of Tau House and continued to volunteer in the Project Lazarus ministry.  

Sister Ann was honored in her works of art and she was esteemed for her other works. The community gave her the distinctive Guardian Angel of 2010 award to recognize her contribution to Project Lazarus.  In 2007 she had received Volunteer of  the Year award.

Galleries hosted Ann’s exhibits. Organizations benefited from her sketches and graphics.  Particularly the School Sisters of Notre Dame appreciated her contributions to congregational and provincial brochures, letter heads, and the artistic planning of gatherings. Then she generated the creative ability of other members.

The religious communities in which Sister Ann lived changed as her ministry evolved.  She sought community living with a Franciscan Sister in an apartment in the French Quarter. Then other SSNDs joined her.  From them we learn of her regularly sharing time for prayer and the chores.  She loved to cook, so she did most community meal preparation. Ann’s “loving to cook” must have been an improvement from early days.  Then a couple who lived in an apartment above the Sisters reported, “Sister Ann must be cooking again” on one the days that the burned food aromas filled their apartment.

Consistently Ann was an active participant in SSND faith communities, whether local, regional or provincial.  During the formation of the Central Pacific Province, Sister Ann was very active in the commuting and communication as a member of one Quad Committee that assisted the birthing of this new province.

All activity ceased abruptly in the summer of 2013.  Ann’s mental and physical agility seemed to collapse until total care at St. Mary of the Pines became necessary in early August.  Weeks later emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix changed the pattern of her condition.  Sister Ann was rarely aroused from a coma-like condition after the surgery.   She died peacefully early morning on the Feast of All Souls.

Sister Ann’s parents preceded her in death.  Her two sisters, Lynn Schmitz and Miriam Roddy and her brothers, Hugh, Bill and Robert survive her.  All five of them along with Bill’s wife Cherie were able to come to be with our SSND community, the Franciscan priests and brothers, and her many friends for the morning prayer and the Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013.  Rev. Thomas Potts, SVD was the celebrant.  Burial was in the St. Mary of the Pines Cemetery, in Chatawa.

May our Sister Ann who did not hesitate to spend the best of herself be so rewarded in heaven.

We love you Annie!