Sister Anne Christine Barry, SNDdeN

Sister Anne Christine Barry, a long-time educator, died Aug. 12 at the Mercy Retirement and Care Center in Oakland at the age of 91. She had been a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 73 years.

After graduating from Moreland Notre Dame Academy in Watsonville, she joined the Notre Dame Sisters. She was an elementary school teacher, principal and supervisor at Notre Dame schools in Oregon, Washington and in California in San Jose, Santa Clara, Carmel, Belmont and San Carlos.

Sister Barry also was education supervisor for the Sisters of the Notre Dame and served in the Office of Education for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

She retired from education after 51 years and went to work with Insyte in Cupertino and in the development office of the Sisters of Notre Dame. She moved to the Notre Dame Province Office in Belmont in 2003 where she continued to minister as a volunteer. She believed, “The Lord and good friends always help you out.”

Survivors include nieces and nephews.

The funeral Mass was held Aug. 16 at the Gellert Chapel, Notre Dame Province Center in Belmont. Burial followed at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery.

Sister Mary Jean Meier, RSM

Sister Mary Jean Meier, who combined her unique gifts of compassion and financial acumen to help build support for various works of the Church including the skilled nursing facility at Mercy Retirement and Care Center in Oakland and the Cathedral of Christ the Light, died Aug. 8 in Los Angeles. She was 85 years of age and had been a member of the Sisters of Mercy for more than six decades.

Born Kathleen Marie Meier in Los Angeles, she joined the Sisters of Mercy in Burlingame in 1943 and professed her vows in 1946, taking the name of Sister Mary Jean.

She taught business at Catholic Girls High School, now Bishop Conaty High School, in Los Angeles, and at Mercy High in San Francisco. She served as principal at Mercy High School in Burlingame before becoming coordinator of school finance for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and later director of development at Mercy Retirement and Care Center in Oakland.

While at Mercy Retirement Center she taught innumerable workshops in finance, public relations, budgeting and fund development. She is credited with raising $7 million to retire the debt and build the skilled nursing facility there.

In 1986 then-Archbishop, now Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles asked Sister Meier to return to the archdiocese where she served as development director and later as director of special services, creating fundraising programs that serve the poor in the archdiocese.

During her tenure she established an annual Cardinal’s Awards Dinner, honoring outstanding people in the community, and in the process raised millions for Catholic schools. Her 80th birthday party was an example of her success as a fundraiser. The event, which drew the cardinal, several bishops, dozens of priests and 550 people described as “her closest friends,” raised over $3.6 million for the archdiocese’s Education Foundation.

Sister Meier played an active role in advising the cathedral fundraising personnel during the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland.

Sister Meier had a “wonderful” way of developing relationships and friendships, said Anne Rynders, current development director at Mercy Retirement and Care Center.

Rynders said the nun offered her expertise to FACE (Family Aid-Catholic Education) when Rynders was in charge of the diocesan program. “She spoke to the FACE board and committees and gave workshops on numerous occasions about what are people’s deep motivations for giving and their desire to leave a legacy by their support of particular charities,” Rynders said.

Survivors include her nephews, Patrick and John Meier of Wisconsin; and a niece, Kathleen Meier Hornstein of Minnesota.

As a tribute to Sister Meier’s dedication and extraordinary work, Cardinal Mahony proposed that she rest in peace in a home she helped to build. Following the funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angeles in Los Angeles on Aug. 14, Sister Meier was buried in the Mausoleum at the cathedral.

Sister Bonnie Lee Pelloux, OSF

Sister Bonnie Lee Pelloux, who served in education, healthcare and vocation ministry, died Aug. 5 in Tacoma, Wash. She was 68 and had been a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 47 years.

Born in Santa Rosa, she joined the congregation in 1960 and made her first vows in 1963. The following year she began teaching at St. Isidore School in Danville. Known then as Sister LaSalette Marie, she taught at the school until 1969. She also taught in Riverside.

Sister Pelloux worked in the Archdiocese of Seattle for 15 years, including time as a parish nurse. In the Diocese of San Diego she served in the diocesan vocation office (1980 – 1987), at an area hospital and as director of catechetical ministry in Coronado (1990 – 1992). She spent 10 years in the Diocese of Spokane at several health care facilities and as West Coast vocation direction for her religious community. She also was vocation director on the East Coast from 1998 – 2000.

Survivors include her sisters, Beverly Lacy and Barbara Asaka; her brother, William Pelloux; nieces and a nephew.

The funeral Mass was held Aug. 10 at St. Leo Church in Tacoma, Wash. Burial was at Calvary Cemetery in Tacoma, Wash.

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