A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Ann Shea, D.C., was celebrated February 18, 2017, at the DePaul House Chapel in Albany, N.Y. Burial followed at St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands, N.Y. Sister Ann died February 13, 2017, at St. Louise House in Albany. She was 86 years of age and 59 years vocation as a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
Born in Boston, Mass., on July 12, 1930, Sister Ann (baptized Elizabeth Ann) was the second youngest of 10 children born to Cornelius Joseph and Katherine Mary (McKenna) Shea. Sister entered the Community of the Daughters of Charity in Emmitsburg, Md., in April 1957.
Sister Ann graduated from St. Gregory’s High School in Dorchester, Mass., in 1947. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Boston Teacher’s College, Boston, in 1951 and her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Fordham University, New York, N.Y., in 1963.
Following initial formation, Sister Ann taught at Our Lady of Peace, Canton, Ohio, (1958 to 1961); with Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of New York’s Kennedy Center (1961 to 1969); as Administrator of Foster Care at Labouré Hall in Buffalo, N.Y., (1969 to 1970; while there Sister served as the Local Community Superior); at Sisters Hospital in Buffalo, (1970 to 1973); with Catholic Charities at St. John’s Parish, Brooklyn, N.Y., (1973 to 1975); at the Parish Center, DePaul Center in Vineland, N.J., (1975 to 1977, while there Sister served as the Local Community Superior); as a Social Worker for Catholic Charities, St. Catherine Center, in Albany, (1977 to 1980); as Director of St. John’s Parish Center, Utica, N.Y., (1980 to 1984); Director of Labouré Center in South Boston, (1984 to 1986); as Administrator of Nazareth Center in Boston, (1986 to 1988, while there Sister served as the Local Community Superior); at St. John of God Hospital, Brighton, Mass., (1988 to 1994, while there Sister served as the Local Community Superior); again at Labouré Center in Boston, (1994 to 1995); as Director of South Bronx and Harlem Catholic Charities in New York, (1995 to 2005, while there Sister served as the Local Community Superior at St. Mark’s House); and in Parish Pastoral Ministry at St. Bernadette Parish in Randolph, Mass., (2005 to 2015). In November 2015, Sister Ann entered the Ministry of Prayer at St. Louise House, Albany, where she served until the time of her death.
Sister Ann was honored by St. John’s University as the recipient of the annual Caritas Medal given in recognition of her immediate and outstanding coordination of the massive relief effort by the Archdiocese of New York following the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center tragedy.
Sister Ann was preceded in death by her parents, and eight of her siblings. She is survived by her brother, Father Bill Shea; many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand nephews; and her Sisters in Community.