Sister Rosemarie Gerrety

“Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor, honor them, my children, as you would honor Christ Himself.”

St. Louise de Marillac

Sister Rosemarie Gerrety died on April 14, 2025, at the age of 88 in Mother Margaret Hall, the nursing facility for the Sisters of Charity. Born on Aug. 16, 1936, in Cincinnati, Ohio, she was the daughter of William and Eleanora (Wehrle) Gerrety. Sister Rosemarie was one of eight children, having one sister and six brothers. She was a Sister of Charity for 70 years.

Raised in Cincinnati, Sister Rosemarie attended St. Lawrence grade school and graduated from St. Xavier Commercial High School in 1952. She spent several years working in a downtown office, using her business training, before entering the Sisters of Charity in February 1955. She was drawn to religious life by the example of the Sisters who had taught her at St. Lawrence.

Sister Rosemarie earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from the College of Mount St. Joseph in 1971 and later completed a chaplaincy program at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, in 1985. She would go on to use both her educational and pastoral training in ministry settings in Ohio and Colorado.

Sister Rosemarie began her years of service as a classroom teacher at St. Francis Xavier, Pueblo, Colorado, in 1956. She later taught at Sacred Heart (1958–1965) and St. Rose of Lima (1965–1966), both in Denver. In 1966, she returned to Ohio to teach at St. Mel in Cleveland, followed by St. Elizabeth Seton in Milford (1972–1981) and St. Dominic in Cincinnati (1981–1983). In 1983, she participated in the Adult Renewal Spirituality Program at the College of Mount St. Joseph, an experience she deeply valued.

Feeling called to a new ministry, Sister Rosemarie pursued pastoral work and, following her chaplaincy training, served at St. Brigid parish in Xenia, Ohio, from 1985 to 2004. “I enjoyed working in a parish, visiting parishioners who were homebound, in nursing homes, in hospitals, and helping as a chaplain in a county hospital,” she once shared. “It was a very rewarding ministry.”

Upon retiring to the Motherhouse in 2005, Sister Rosemarie became a devoted volunteer in the SC Arts and Crafts program. “I pray and thank God for each day. You never know what God will present to you,” she said. She was known for her skill as a seamstress, her creativity with fabric, and her willingness to help wherever needed. Her hobbies included spending time in nature, watercolor painting, crocheting, prayer, and swimming.

The post Sister Rosemarie Gerrety first appeared on Sisters of Charity.