Tuesday, April 14, 2009

A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister of Charity Raphael Garcia was celebrated April 15 in the Immaculate Conception Chapel at the congregation’s motherhouse. Sister Raphael, 98, died on April 9 at Mother Margaret Hall.

Sister Raphael was a member of the Sisters of Charity for 75 years. She entered the congregation in Albuquerque, N.M., in 1933.

For eight years, she worked in food service at the Sisters of Charity motherhouse. She ministered in a similar capacity at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton from 1941-1944; and at hospitals in Colorado.

Sister Raphael provided housekeeping services at the El Pomar Retreat House in Colorado Springs for 10 years until 1955. That same year, she returned to the motherhouse to work in food service. In 1963 Sister Raphael trained to become an EKG technician and inhalation therapist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, where she worked for 18 years.

In 1981 Sister Raphael returned to Colorado Springs to minister as chaplain in the pastoral care department at the Gardens of St. Elizabeth, a senior residential facility. She volunteered in pastoral ministry at Penrose-St. Francis Hospital, as well as working at the registration desk in the nuclear medicine unit for 15 years. In 1997 Sister Raphael retired to join the ministry of prayer at the Sisters of Charity motherhouse.

Sister Raphael is survived by her sisters, Mary Sandoval and Mary Ann Sanchez.

Interment was in the motherhouse cemetery.