Sister Clare Maureen Connolly, OSF, a School Sister of St. Francis, died on April 15, 2020, at the age of 83 at New Cassel Retirement Center in Omaha. She was born in County Leitrim, Ireland, and emigrated to West Virginia with her family in 1948. She entered the Sisters of the Poor Child Jesus in 1955, and taught elementary and high school students. Sister Maureen moved to Omaha in 1970 and earned degrees in religious education and pastoral ministry from Creighton University. She transferred to the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1975. Sister Maureen directed religious education programs at parishes in Bloomfield, Creighton, Norfolk, Randolph, and Snyder. She taught theology at Ryan High School in Omaha until 1983, when the school closed. During her term as board chair of Siena/Francis House in Omaha, the shelter hired its first salaried manager. She ministered for five years at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and developed a religious education program for youth. In 1992, she became program coordinator at New Covenant Justice and Peace Center, developing programs in nonviolence for people of all ages (preschool to adult). For seven years, she organized activities for the Black Catholic Scholarship Program for students, mentors, and parents. The City of Omaha awarded her the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Living the Dream Award in 2007. Sister Maureen served the Alternatives to Violence Project at Omaha Correctional Center as a facilitator from 2005 to 2017, and as Omaha coordinator from 2009 until her death. She had volunteered at New Cassel Retirement Center, where she lived, since 2007. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Kathleen Connolly; and sisters, Kathleen (Albert) Fisher in Ohio, and Lana (Jim) Treadwell in California. Sister Maureen is survived by her sister, Maureen (Terry) Ladd in Florida; brothers John (Karen) in Connecticut and Jim in California; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and the School Sisters of St. Francis community with whom she shared life for 45 years. Memorial contributions may be made to the School Sisters of St. Francis, the New Cassel Retirement Center, and the Alternatives to Violence Project. She requested that her body be donated for scientific research. A service of commemoration will take place at New Cassel at a later date.
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