Submitted by: Dan Rich

Sister M. Vincentia Fannon CSC

1867 – Apr. 8, 1949

South Bend Tribune 4/9/1949

Mother M. Vincentia CSC, 82, former superior general of the Sisters of Holy Cross, died Friday in the motherhouse, of St. Mary’s convent on the college campus after a long illness. Prominent nationally as as administrator and educator, Mother Vincentia headed the congregation from 1931 to 1943, having spent almost half a century in administrative work. Born Eleanor E. Fannon in Alexandria Va. in 1867, she was educated by the Sisters of Holy Cross in St. Mary’s academy in that city. At the age of 19 she entered the community receiving the holy habit in 1886 and making her final religious profession in 1891. For eight years, from 1899 to 1907 she directed St. Mary’s School in Anderson, Ind. She served from 1911 to 1931 as superior of St. Paul’s School, Washington; St. Mary’s Academy, Alexandria; St. Mary’s Academy, St. Lake City, Utah; St. Mary’s Academy, Austin, Texas and College of St. Mary of the Wasatch, Salt Lake City.

Elected superior general in 1931, Mother Vincentia saw the formation of provinces in the congregation and the resultant reorganization of community government. Reelected in 1937, she served until 1943, two years after the community had celebrated the golden jubilee of her religious profession. The outdoor stations of the cross erected at the motherhouse at the time as a memorial to her long years to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross.

The requiem mass will be sung at 9 a.m. Monday in the chapel of Our Lady of Loretto at the convent and burial will be in the Community Cemetery.