Sr Justina Schaefer

SISTER JUSTINA SCHAEFER, ASC , 92, of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, died peacefully at 5:20 am, Thursday, October 10, 2024 at Benedictine Living Community at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, Belleville, Illinois.

One of five children in the family of William and Hilda (nee Metze) Schaefer, she was born in Hecker, Illinois, on June 11, 1932. She made her first profession on July 1, 1951 and her final vows on July 1, 1956 at the Ruma Convent Chapel in Ruma, Illinois, and had been professed for 73 years.

Sr. Justina received her bachelor of arts degree in Theology in 1968 and her master’s in Education in 1971, both from St. Louis University. She was certified as a Reading Specialist by the University of Missouri, St. Louis, in 1975, and in School Guidance by Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, IL, in 1992. She held teaching certificates in the states of Missouri and Iowa; she had both teaching and administrative certificates in Illinois.

Sr. Justina was an educator for almost 60 years. She taught elementary students in Illinois at St. Elizabeth in East St. Louis, St. Mary in Taylorville, St. Albert the Great in Fairview Heights, St. Bruno in Pinckneyville, St. John in Piopolis, St. Bernard in Albers, Sts. Peter and Paul in Waterloo, where she also served as principal, Holy Family in Cahokia, and St. Rose in St. Rose. In Missouri, she taught at St. Joseph in Zell and served as principal at St. Jerome in St. Louis.

She followed her teaching ministry in the classroom with nearly 20 years as Director of Religious Education, coupled with parish ministry, in St. Rose, Illinois. During her early years of teaching, she was transferred several times. Her comment regarding her many moves was that it exposed her to “all levels of teaching as well as to many different school systems (large and small, private and public, rural and city). I’ll never regret the experience I reaped through it all.”

One of Sr. Justina’s favorite prayers was Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” For the past several years, Sr. Justina has been Living Mission in Later Life at Benedictine Living Community on the grounds of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows near Belleville, Illinois.

She is survived by her sister, Rose Marie Schilling, three generations of nieces and nephews, and her ASC community. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Walter, her sisters Helen (John) Parker, and Rita (Stanley) Neff, and her niece Kate Mulnik.

Funeral Mass:

2:00 pm, Monday, October 14, 2024

Benedictine Living Community Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows

726 Community Drive, Belleville, Illinois

Visitation:

Monday – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Benedictine Living Community Chapel at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows

Interment:

Convent Cemetery

Ruma, Illinois

Donations in memory of Sr. Juanita may be sent to the ASC Retirement Fund, 4233 Sulphur Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63109, or online at www.adorers.org “Support our Ministries”