Submitted by: Dan Rich
June 22, 1907 - May 16, 2001
South Bend Tribune 5/18/2001
Sister M. Olivette (Charlotte Josephine Whalen), C.S.C., 93, died Wednesday, May 16, in Saint Mary's Con-vent, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, Ind. Sister M. Olivette (Charlotte Josephine Whalen) was born June 22, 1907, to the late John Edward and Ellen Grace Hogan Whalen in Fort Smith, Ark. She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Holy Cross at Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, on July 6, 1933, from St. Louis, Mo., and made her final profession in the congregation on Aug. 15, 1939.
Sister M. Olivette is survived by her nieces, Margie Sheridan of Cleveland, Ohio, Charlotte Casey of San Jose, Calif., and Mrs. Thomas McGinty of Cleveland, Ohio.; and by nephews, James Casey of Corona Del Mar, Calif., John Casey of Santa Barbara, Calif., Denis O'Toole of Alexandria, Va., Terence O'Toole of St. Louis and Timothy McAndrew.
Sister M. Olivette began in Holy Cross as an elementary teacher in Harvard, Ill., at Saint Joseph's School in 1935. She moved to Saint Angela's Academy, Morris in 1936, and then to Saint Mary's School, Woodstock, Ill., in 1937. Sister Olivette studied nursing at Mount Carmel Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, in 1937, and graduated in 1941. She was assigned to foreign duty in India but was unable to complete the journey because she became a prisoner of the Japanese in Manila at the beginning of World War II. Sister returned to Saint Mary's in 1945 and after a period of recuperation, in 1947, was then on her way to Brazil to open a new mission there. In 1961 Sister Olivette was elected to the General Council of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross and in 1967 elected Superior General. After 1974 Sister opened the formation program for African/Asian sisters at Mater Ecclesiae Center, Tiberias, Israel. Back in the States and at Saint Mary's she was a councilor to the regional superior of the Apostolate Abroad. In 1987 she spent one year as a staff member at Mater Ecclesiae Center. Sister Olivette returned home to Saint Mary's to work in the Apostolate Abroad Region and then, as heath needs dictated, moved to Saint Mary's Convent where she lived and was active in the apostolate of prayer until her death.
Wake service will be held at 6:30 p.m. today, May 18, in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Saint Mary's. Funeral Mass will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 19, in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Saint Mary's, followed by interment at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministry with the Poor Fund, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, IN 46556. The Kaniewski Funeral Home is handling arrangements.