March 31, 2011

A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Rose Anna Vonderhaar was celebrated March 23 at Mount Notre Dame convent chapel in Cincinnati. Sister Rose Anna, 103, died March 18 at the Mount Notre Dame Health Center. She was a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur for 83 years.

A Cincinnati native, Sister Rose Anna began her educational ministry at the former St. Xavier School in Cincinnati. In the Archdiocese of Cincinnati she also taught at the former St. George School. In 1953 Sister Rose Anna began teaching in her congregation’s high schools. For 10 years she taught business classes at the former Julienne High School in Dayton, then left the classroom to serve in various administrative positions. She served as principal at Notre Dame High School in Chicago from 1953 to 1959, and at Julienne from 1959 to 1968.

Sister Rose Anna eventually left the classroom to begin a series of new ministries, including serving as the general treasurer at the international headquarters of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Rome. She later served as the secretary for the Congregation for Religious in Rome.  When Sister Rose Anna returned to the states, she assumed several roles in the personnel offices of the archdiocese, serving from 1975 to 1983. In retirement Sister Rose Anna was an active member of the ministry of prayer at the Mount Notre Dame Health Center.

Interment was in the congregation’s cemetery.