RIP Sister Helen

Sister M. Helen Hansen, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family for 65 years, died July 2 at the age of 98 at the Motherhouse in Fremont, California. Sister Helen was born January 25, 1916, in Moab, Missouri, and entered the Holy Family Sisters from St. Lawrence O’Toole Parish in Oakland.

During her active years, Sister Helen served in parishes in the dioceses of Monterey, Fresno and Oakland, as well as in San Antonio, Texas, where she remained for 14 years. In 1982 she returned to the Motherhouse in Fremont, where she engaged in ministry to shut-ins and pastoral care in the sisters’ infirmary until her retirement.

Sister Helen was a staunch advocate for peace on earth, and encouraged everyone she met to pray for peace. She was a skilled crafter of soft-sculpture dolls, and wrote and illustrated a series of stories for children about a family of bears.

A Mass of Christian Resurrection will be celebrated at the Motherhouse Chapel on Monday, July 7, at 11:00 a.m.. Memorial remembrances may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Family, P.O. Box 3248, Fremont, CA 94539.