Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Mary Juliette Shaheen was celebrated July 27 at St. Clare Montefalco Church in Grosse Pointe, Mich. Sister Mary Juliette, 84, died on July 24 at Beaumont Shore Pointe Assisted Living Facility in St. Clair Shores.

A native of Detroit, Sister Mary Juliette entered the congregation in 1942 and was a Sister of Charity for 66 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of Mount St. Joseph and master’s degree n administration from the University of Detroit. She served in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, as well as other dioceses, in the fields of education, counseling, parish ministry and religious education.

Sister Mary Juliette’s educational ministry began as an intermediate teacher at St. William (1945-53) and Cure of Ars (1953-55) in Cincinnati. She also served as a teacher at St. Jude (1959-60) and the former St. Saviour (1962-63). She was a secondary teacher at Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering from 1965-68 before becoming a guidance counselor in Cleveland.

Sister Mary Juliette began her parish ministry in New Mexico in 1972 and went on to serve at parishes in Michigan, along with coordinating religious education. In 1977 she became a hospital counselor in Michigan. She also assisted at a crisis center for victims of violence and their children and helped establish the Healing Wounds support group in Detroit for people with HIV/AIDS and their families and caregivers.  After her retirement in 1994, Sister Mary Juliette volunteered as a tutor in Michigan.

Sister Mary Juliette is survived by a brother, Francis Shaheen, of Florida.