Submitted by: Dan Rich
Sept. 8, 1836 - Mar. 31, 1930
South Bend Tribune 4/1/1930
A requiem mass for Sister M. Francis de
Sales CSC, 93, last member of the little band os sisters of
the Holy Cross who served so vallantly as nurses during the civil
war, and the oldest nun at the motherhouse at St. Mary’s
Convent, was conducted this morning at 7:30 a.m. in the community
chapel, and was buried in the community cemetery. Rev. James O’Neill
SJ of Chicago, a grand nephew was the celebrant.
She died Monday in the infirmary at St. Mary’s. She was born as Nora O’Neill Set. 8, 1836 in Ireland. She joined the Holy Cross order when she was 16 at Bertrand, Mich. In 1853, just nine years after it was established by Rev. Edward Sorin CSC, founder of Notre Dame. At that time the community consisted of three professed sisters and a small number of novices.