A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Mary Rose McPhee, D.C., was celebrated April 23, 2014, at Seton Residence Chapel in Evansville, Ind. Burial followed at St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville.
Sister Mary Rose died April 15, 2014, at 95 years of age at Seton Residence. In July 2013, she celebrated 72 years of vocation as a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
Born June 10, 1918, in Woodrow, Colo., Sister Mary Rose was one of nine children born to Jess John and Agnes Ellen (Fitzgerald) McPhee. She was baptized Margaret Rose McPhee. Sister Mary Rose was a 1937 graduate of Easton High School in Easton, Mo.
Sister Mary Rose entered the Daughters of Charity in St. Louis in 1941. She studied nursing at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chicago, Ill., where she earned her nursing diploma in 1942. In 1948, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in zoology and nursing arts from DePaul University in Chicago. In 1950, Sister earned her Master of Science degree in nursing education and psychiatric nursing and psychology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Sister Mary Rose earned a certificate in clinical pastoral care from Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet, Ill., and studied spiritual direction and psychosynthesis at St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colo.
Sister Mary Rose’s first assignment was a psychiatric unit supervisor at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chicago (1943-1949). She then served as psychiatric supervisor and as a clinical teacher at St. Vincent’s Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. (1950-1953). Sister was missioned to San Francisco, Calif., where she served as administrator at St. Mary’s Help Hospital (1953-1960). Then, she served as administrator of DePaul Hospital in St. Louis (1960-1962). Sister Mary Rose then began 12 years as the Province Visitatrix (Provincial) and served in this role from 1962 to 1974 at Marillac Provincial House in St. Louis. During her tenure as Visitatrix of the Normandy (St. Louis), Mo., Province, the Daughters of Charity in the United States divided from two into five separate Provinces—Emmitsburg, Md.; St. Louis; Albany, N.Y.; Evansville; and Los Altos Hills, Calif.
Sister Mary Rose studied pastoral care; then, in 1975, she was named the director of pastoral care at Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas (1975-1976). She then was named the administrator at Seton Medical Center (1976-1982). In 1982, Sister Mary Rose became the executive director of the Daughters of Charity West Central Health System (1982-1984) based in St. Louis. She then was named president of the Daughters of Charity National Health System-West Central Region (DCNHS-WC) (1984-1988), and then executive vice president of DCNHS-WC (1988-1989) also in St. Louis. Sister Mary Rose then was missioned to New Orleans, La. She served as interim president/CEO at Hotel Dieu Hospital and then as the chief executive officer (1989-1992).
In December 1992, Sister Mary Rose was missioned to Denver where she studied spiritual direction at St. Thomas Seminary until 1993. Sister then served in retreat work in New Orleans. In 1993, she was missioned to Austin. There she served at the Center for Spirituality and Work (1993-1994), in retreat work (1994-1995), and then at Seton Cove (1995-2000), first as executive director and then executive director emeritus. From 2000 to 2004, Sister Mary Rose was an internal consultant at Seton Healthcare Network in Austin. In 2004, she began to serve in the Ministry of Prayer at Seton Residence in Evansville. She lived there until the time of her death.
Sister Mary Rose served on more than 25 governing boards of directors and many committees. She served as a delegate for her Community’s worldwide General Assembly held in Paris. She received many honors and distinctions including an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Niagara University in Niagara, N.Y., and the Life Achievement Award from the Catholic Health Association (CHA’s highest award).
Sister Mary Rose is survived by two of her sisters: Sister John Gabriel McPhee, D.C., and Rita (Lambert) Dehner; many nieces and nephews; her Sisters in Community and many friends.