Lest We Forget
Sister Catherine McInnes, CSJP (1927-2010)
Sister Catherine McInnes was born on January 9, 1927 in Westlock, Alberta, Canada.
She was one of the six children of David and Margaret Campbell McInnes.
She is survived by her brother Dean McInnes, his wife Joan of Coquitlam, B. C., sister-in- law Margaret McInnes of Nakusp, B.C. and many nieces and nephews. Four brothers and one sister preceded her in death.
She graduated in 1950 from St. Joseph School of Nursing, Victoria, British Columbia and worked as a Registered Nurse in British Columbia, Oregon and Washington.
She entered the novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in Bellingham, Washington on February 3, 1951 “to be in service and minister to those in need, especially in our healthcare system.” After her novitiate she was Operating Room Supervisor at Sacred Heart General Hospital in Eugene, Oregon and at St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham, Washington. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Seattle University in 1961. She attended graduate school at St. John’s University, New York and received a Master of Science in Nursing.
She was Administrator of the Josephinum, Seattle,; Chief Executive Officer of St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham, Washington for 21 years; she served two terms as Province Treasurer and as a member of the Leadership Team of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in Bellevue, Washington. She served on the Center for Healthcare Improvement Division and as a member of St. John Hospital Governing Board in Longview, Washington from 2003 to the summer of 2010.
Sister Catherine celebrated her Golden Jubilee as a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace in 2001. On that occasion she shared that “These years have been richly blessed by a loving God who gave me a caring and loving family to begin life’s earthly journey. As I began to travel on my own, I found that I was always gifted with countless other ‘travelers’ who were there to ‘cheer me on’ and provide the support needed. Being a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace has indeed been memorable. Besides the gift of the members of Our Lady Province, I also had a very special blessing to live with our Sisters in St. Joseph Province, and for a more limited time with the Sisters in Sacred Heart Province. As I look to the future, I am filled with hope, gratitude and deep appreciation for a loving God who continuously rejoices over us all with gladness and who renews us in love.”
Sister Catherine touched our lives in profound ways by the example of her life - a life of excellence, of deep passion, of consistent commitment to mission and right choices, of service to and appreciation for others and of lightness and laughter.
Sister Catherine died peacefully in her sleep on October 18, 2010. There will be a celebration of her life on Friday, October 22 at 7pm at St. Mary-on-the-Lake in Bellevue. The funeral Mass will also be at St. Mary-on-the-Lake on Saturday, October 23 at 1pm followed by the burial will be at Holyrood Catholic Cemetery.