SINSINAWA — Sr. Catherine “Kate” Dooley, OP, died December 1, 2015, at St. Dominic Villa. Her religious name was Sr. Mary Conan. The funeral Mass was held in Queen of the Rosary Chapel at Sinsinawa December 7, 2015, followed by burial in the motherhouse cemetery.
Sister Kate made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican August 5, 1953, and her final profession August 5, 1956. She taught first grade for 15 years, served as religious education consultant for five years, and taught at universities for over 31 years. Sister Kate became nationally known for her ministry in catechetical renewal after Vatican Council II, developing a field called liturgical catechesis which acknowledges the liturgy as a source for catechesis, a pastoral activity that aims to lead communities and individuals to full, active, and conscious faith in the light of instruction and the experience of Christian living. Sister Kate served in Illinois, Colorado, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
In the Diocese of Madison, Sister Kate taught at St. Cecilia, Wisconsin Dells, from 1966 to 1968, and Edgewood College, Madison, from 1975 to 1976.
Sister Kate was born August 8, 1933, in Shieldsville, Minn., the daughter of Anthony and Catherine (McLaughlin) Dooley. Her parents; a sister, Mary Elizabeth Bryant; and three brothers, Robert Dooley, Paul Dooley, and Vincent Dooley, preceded her in death. She is survived by a brother, Mark Dooley; nieces; nephews; and her Dominican Sisters with whom she shared life for 62 years.
Memorials may be made to the Sinsinawa Dominicans, 585 Cty. Rd. Z, Sinsinawa, WI, 53824-9701 or online at www.sinsinawa.org by clicking on “Donate Now,” then “Honors and Memorials.”
Repeat broadcasts of the wake and funeral for Sister Kate are available online at www.Sinsinawa.org/live. Click on the “on demand” tab.