A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Catherine Cotter, D.C., was held Aug. 22, 2015, at DePaul Chapel in Albany, N.Y. Burial followed at St. Agnes Cemetery in Menands, N.Y.
Born in Boston, Mass., Sept. 6, 1930, Sister Catherine was one of seven children born to Edward and Alice Cotter. Sister Catherine joined the Community of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in May of 1954; she recently celebrated 61 years as a Daughter of Charity. Sister died Aug. 15, 2015, at St. Louise House in Albany. She was 84 years of age.
Sister Catherine graduated from Dorchester High School in Boston in 1948. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies from St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg, Md., in 1961, and a master’s degree in Psychiatric Social Work from Fordham University in Bronx, N.Y., in 1963.
Early in her ministry, Sister Catherine was a child care provider at St. Vincent & Sarah Fisher Home in Farmington, Mich. (1955 to 1960); Kennedy Center (Catholic Charities), New York, N.Y. (1961 to 1966); St. Joseph’s-Gonzaga Home, Philadelphia (1966 to 1973 where she ministered as the Local Superior from March 1969 to April 1973); Nazareth in Boston (1973 to 1980 where she served as the Local Superior from April 1973 to August 1980); St. Joseph’s Hall in Philadelphia (1980 to 1982); Astor Home for Children in Rhinebeck, N.Y. (1982 to 1984); St. Anthony’s in Bronx (1984 to 1988 where she ministered as Local Superior from August 1984 to December 1988); and The Clark House in Binghamton, N.Y. (1988 to 1996). In 1996, Sister Catherine was missioned to DePaul Provincial House in Albany to serve as administrator and where she served as the Local Superior from November 1997 to November 2003. Sister then was missioned to Marguerite Naseau House in Ogdensburg, N.Y. (2003 to 2012).
In 2012, Sister joined the Ministry of Prayer at St. Louise House in Albany and served there until the time of her death.
Sister Catherine was preceded in death by her parents and her six brothers and sisters: Helen Keating, Edward Cotter, Margaret Anderson, Alice Davis, Joseph Cotter and Charles Cotter. She is survived by 19 nieces and nephews; 14 grandnieces and grandnephews; 7 great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews; and her Sisters in Community.