Sister Kathleen Marie Saffa

Sister Kathleen Marie (Marie Kathleen) Saffa, age 86 died at Villa St. Michael in Emmitsburg, Maryland on March 6, 2023.  She was born April 17, 1936 in Baltimore, Maryland to Lillian Tharsella (Hladky) and John Joseph Saffa.  Before entering the Community, Sister Kathleen Marie was a member of St. Dominic Parish in Baltimore.   She graduated from Seton High School in Baltimore in 1959 and entered the Daughters of Charity on January 26, 1955. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education in 1967 from St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg. In 1980 she earned a Master of Arts Degree in Religious Studies, majoring in Sacred Scripture from the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary-Overbrook in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

After a period of initial formation, Sister Kathleen Marie was missioned to teach at Sacred Heart School in Norfolk, Virginia (1956-1965) and Our Lady of Peace School in Canton, Ohio (1965-1966).  She then studied at St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg (1966-1967).  After getting her degree, she taught at St. Catherine Labouré School in Wheaton, Maryland (1967-1969) and St. Joseph School in Petersburg, Virginia (1969-1970).  The next year she served in Formation at St. Joseph Provincial House (1970-1971) and then resumed teaching first at St. Mary’s School in Rome, Georgia (1971-1978) and then at St. Dominic School in Baltimore (1978-1984).  The next missions were as Pastoral Care Director in Sacred Heart Hospital in Cumberland, Maryland (1984-1986) and St. Catherine Labouré Manor in Jacksonville, Florida (1986-1993). After a renewal program, she continued as Pastoral Care Director at St. Elizabeth Home for Nursing Care in Baltimore (1995-1999).  Following this, Sister Kathleen Marie assumed the duty of Pastoral Care Coordinator at St. Vincent de Paul Nursing Center in Frostburg, Maryland (1999-2005). She served as Assistant to the Sister Servant in Villa St. Michael in Emmitsburg (2005-2008) and then worked in Pastoral Care at Carroll Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Washington, DC (2008-2014).  Although Sister Kathleen Marie loved her many years of teaching, she found special joy in her Pastoral Care ministry as chaplain, sharing Scripture and spirituality with those who were sick and elderly.  In 2014 Sister Kathleen Marie was missioned to Villa St. Michael in Emmitsburg where she served in the Ministry of Prayer until her death.

Sister Kathleen Marie was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Alvin Saffa and Joseph Saffa, and sister, Lillian Brower.  She is survived by nieces, nephews and her sisters in community.  

A wake service will be held on Wednesday, March 8 in the Villa Chapel in Emmitsburg at 7:00 pm.  The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 am on Thursday, March 9 in the Villa Chapel.

 Burial will follow in the Sacred Heart Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Sister Kathleen Marie’s name to the Daughters of Charity, 4330 Olive Street, Saint Louis, Missouri 63108.