Farewell to a fallen soldier
Jessica Langevin, widow of Spc. Sean Langevin, wipes away tears at
the start of his funeral Mass, Nov. 26, at St. John Vianney Church
in Walnut Creek. At the far left are his grieving parents, Drew and
Roxane Langevin. The Army specialist was killed Nov. 9 in an ambush
in Afghanistan. His wife is expecting their first child, Feb. 1.
GREG TARCZYNSKI PHOTO |
Sister Barbara Cotton, C.S.J.
Sister Barbara Cotton, a longtime educator and former principal at Carondelet
High School in Concord, died on Nov. 27 in southern California. She was
80 and had celebrated her 60th anniversary as a Sister of St. Joseph of
Carondelet in March of this year.
Born in San Francisco, where she attended St. Cecilia Elementary School
and Star of the Sea High School, she spent two years at the University
of California at Berkeley before joining the Sisters of St. Joseph in
February 1947. After six months she received the habit and the name Sister
St. Thomas. She made her final vows in 1951. She completed her B.A. at
Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles.
Sister Cotton spent 11 years at Carondelet High School in Concord, serving
as a history and religion teacher, junior class advisor, assistant principal
and then as principal from 1974-78. She was also principal at St. Anselm
School in San Anselmo and director of residence at Mount St. Mary’s
College.
The funeral Mass was held Dec. 4 at Carondelet Center in Los Angeles.
Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.
Sister Mary Bernarda Gilfether, S.N.J.M.
Sister Mary Bernarda (Helen Genevieve) Gilfether, an educator who served
in the Oakland Diocese, died Dec. 7 at the Convent of the Holy Names in
Los Gatos. She was 99 years of age and a vowed Sister of the Holy Names
of Jesus and Mary for 78 years.
Born in Oakland, Sister Gilfether was a teacher at Sacred Heart Elementary
School, her alma mater, and at Oakland’s St. Augustine School. She
also taught and was a principal at schools in Alhambra, Los Angeles, and
San Francisco.
The funeral Mass was held Dec. 12 at the Convent of the Holy Names in
Los Gatos and burial took place the following day at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery
in Hayward. Donations in Sister’s memory may be made to the Ministry
Fund, Sisters of the Holy Names, P.O. Box 907, Los Gatos, CA 95031.
Father James Griffin, C.M.F.
Claretian Father James Griffin, a former pastor at St. Bonaventure Parish
in Concord, died Nov. 19 in Torrance after several weeks of declining
health. He was 86 and had been a Claretian Missionary for 56 years.
Born in Chicago, he made his first profession of vows as a Claretian Missionary
at Silver Peak Seminary in Walnut, CA, and was ordained a priest at San
Gabriel Mission in San Gabriel in 1948.
His first assignment was as assistant prefect of students at Dominguez
Seminary in Compton, CA. Much of his life was spent forming new missionaries.
He served on the Provincial council and as professor, superior, novice
master and vocation director at Claretville Seminary in Calabasas, CA,
and at Claret House in Berkeley.
He was pastor at St. Bonaventure Parish from 1988-1993. He also served
as pastor and associate pastor at the parishes of San Gabriel Mission
and Sacred Heart in Prescott, AZ.
The funeral Mass and burial took place Nov. 23 at San Gabriel Mission.
Sister Agnella Hauner, O.P.
Sister Agnella Hauner, who for many years took care of children at St.
Mary of the Palms (Serra Center) in Fremont, died Nov. 17 at her community’s
motherhouse in Fremont. She was 88 and had been a Dominican Sister of
Mission San Jose for 71 years.
Born in Guntersdorf, Germany, she was one of 13 children. Child care was
her area of expertise. In addition to her work in Fremont she served at
Immaculate Conception Academy in San Francisco, The Albertinum in Ukiah,
and at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in Pasadena, where she lived for
31 years. She also devoted her summers to youngsters, many of whom were
poor, at various camps administered by the Dominican Sisters.
The funeral Mass was held Nov. 26 at the Mission San Jose Dominican Motherhouse
in Fremont. Burial took place the following day in the motherhouse cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Dominican Sisters, 43326 Mission Blvd.,
Fremont, CA 94539.
Sister Anita Marie Schmit, O.P.
Sister Anita Marie Schmit, a longtime educator who served at two schools
in the Oakland Diocese, died Nov. 18 in Adrian, Mich. She was 95 years
of age and in the 71st year of her religious profession in the Adrian
Dominican Congregation.
Born in Bryant, Indiana, Sister Schmit spent 51 years as an educator.
She worked at St. Paschal Baylon School in Oakland (1965-67) and St. Mary
School in Walnut Creek (1975-83). She also worked at schools in Lemon
Grove, CA, Ohio, and Michigan, where she was principal at Our Lady of
Victory in Northville for six years.
The funeral Mass was held Nov. 21 in St. Catherine Chapel at the Dominican
Life Center in Adrian, Mich. Burial was in the Congregation cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East
Siena Heights Dr., Adrian, Mich. 49221.
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