Sister Monica Heeran passed away this morning, October 9, 2026, at home at St. Mary-on-the-Lake in Bellevue, Washington. Let us pause and give thanks for her ninety-five years of life—her compassionate heart, clarity of vision, and generous sharing of her many gifts in service of God’s people in need. We especially hold in prayer those whose lives were touched by Sister Monica.
Sister Monica began her life in County Leitrim, Ireland, as one of James and Anne Heeran’s nine children, including her younger sister Anita who also became a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace. At the age of seven, Sister Monica was stricken with osteomyelitis. She spent three years in and out of hospitals and was confined to her bed for eleven months. She later recounted this experience as planting the seeds of her desire to become a nurse.
At just fifteen years of age, Sister Monica entered the Congregation, knowing that her vocation would take her far from her home and family. She traveled from Ireland to Bellingham, Washington, for her novitiate. Sister Monica began her long career in health care ministry as a receptionist and bookkeeper at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Wenatchee, Washington, in 1950. Her dream of nursing came true in 1961, when she became an R.N. at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene, Oregon. In 1970 she earned a Master’s Degree from St. Louis University, launching her into decades of ministry in hospital administration. Sister Monica served as Administrator in Bellingham, Ketchikan, and Eugene before becoming the second President and CEO of PeaceHealth in 1988. She held this position until 1997.
Throughout her career, Sister Monica was guided by a vision of healthcare as a ministry to the community at large, encouraging the involvement of physician and community leadership. She was at the forefront of Oregon’s progressive efforts at Medicaid reform, and led a workgroup in the 1990s that helped the state achieve one of the highest coverage rates in the nation. After retiring from PeaceHealth, she helped start the Volunteers in Medicine Clinic in Eugene to provide quality medical care to those in need. In 2008, the Catholic Health Association recognized Monica with their Lifetime Achievement Award, as “proof that one committed individual can change the world.”
On the occasion of her 50th Jubilee, Sister Monica reflected: “I have been accompanied on my journey by dedicated women and men who dared make a difference in serving the sick, healing the broken-hearted and ministering to each other. I never cease to be edified by the goodness of many wonderful people. My experience testifies to the continuation of Jesus’ ministry through us. I stand in reverence at the goodness and commitment I see around me. It gives me great hope for the future.”
We remember with gratitude the sheer goodness that Sister Monica brought to our community and, indeed, our world, through her leadership and loving presence. We trust that she is now at peace in the heart of our compassionate and loving God, reunited with dear family and friends.