Sr. Mary Anthony Mathews

SISTER MARY ANTHONY MATHEWS, ASC, 102, of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, Ruma Center, Ruma, Illinois, passed away at 12:30 pm, Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at the Ruma Center, Ruma, Illinois.

She was born to the late John and Teresa (nee Peters) Mathews in Coulterville, Illinois on May 1, 1916.

She made her first vows as an Adorer of the Blood of Christ on July 2, 1933 and perpetual profession on July 1, 1938 and had been professed for 84 years.

Sister Mary Anthony was an educator, missionary and leader. Early in her religious life, she was sent as a missionary to China (1940-46) and spent time in a concentration camp during the war. Her other places of ministry included Alton, IL, at Catholic Children’s Home and the following elementary schools in Illinois: St. Mary in Taylorville, St. John the Baptist in Smithton, St. Elizabeth in E. St. Louis, St. Lawrence in Lawrenceville, St. Albert the Great in Fairview Heights, Immaculate Conception in Columbia, Prairie du Rocher Elementary, Holy Family in Cahokia and Immaculate Conception in Centreville. In Missouri, she taught at Our Lady in Festus.

After her years in the classroom teaching, Sister Mary Anthony served as a tutor in the St. Louis, MO and East St. Louis, Illinois area from 1984-89. She continued the ministry of tutoring, from 189-+6 in Guatemala at La Labor, a mission of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ. During the 1980s and 90s, she was also deeply committed to the order’s Sanctuary Movement, which aided refugees.

She received her Bachelor’s Degree at SLU in 1948 and her Master’s Degree, also a SLU , in 1960, her Certificate in the Corporate Ministry Program and Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) in 1984.

Sister Mary Anthony served as an assistant to the Provincial of the former Ruma Province (1965-68) and as the community’s Education Coordinator (1966-68).

Survivors:

2 Sisters:                        Margaret Erb

Mary Agnes “Babe” Mathews

1 Brother:                      Joseph (Judy) Mathews

1 Brother-in-law:           Melvin Rubenacker

Many Nieces, Nephews, and members of the ASC Community

Preceded in death by : Parents, 5 Brothers- Eugene (Ruth), Cletus, Joseph, Anthony (Essie) and Jackie Mathews and 3 Sisters – Mary Rubenacker, Lillian (John) Hettenhausen and Teresa (Carl) Wilson

Mass of Christian Burial: 11:00 am, Saturday, May 12, 2018

Ruma Center Chapel, Ruma, Illinois

Visitation: Saturday – 8:00 am – 10:45 am

With Wake Service at 10:00 am

Ruma Center Chapel, Ruma, Illinois

Interment: Convent Cemetery

Ruma, Illinois

Donations in memory of Sister Mary Anthony Mathews may be sent to the ASC Retirement Fund, 4233 Sulphur Avenue, St. Louis, MO  63109 or online at www.adorers.org , “Support Our Ministries”.