Sister John Catherine Arnold, OP of the Dominican Sisters of Hope, died February 12, 2019 at St Catherine of Siena Convent, Caldwell, New Jersey. She was 87 years of age.
The daughter of the late John Edward and Catharine Dorothy Coffey Arnold, she was born August 27, 1931 in Newburgh, New York.
Sister John Catherine entered the novitiate of the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh, New York, in September 1951, made her First Profession in June 1953 and her Final Profession in August 1956. Sister John Catherine earned a BS in Elementary Education from Villanova; a BS in Home Economics from Marywood in Scranton, Pennsylvania; and her MS in Education from SUNY at Buffalo.
Sister John Catherine was an elementary teacher at Annunciation School in Crestwood NY (1953-55), Regina Coeli School in Hyde Park NY (1955-68) and St Thomas School in Cornwall (1968-76). She served as principal at Regina Coeli School, Hyde Park, from 1976-85. From 1985-2003 she was director of Saint Nicholas School in Palisades Park NJ. From 2003-2010, she did pastoral care for the sick and homebound at St. Columba Parish in Hopewell Junction NY. When Sister John Catherine retired from parish ministry, she took great pleasure in regularly visiting our Sisters at The Wartburg in Mount Vernon and at Saint Catherine of Siena Convent in Caldwell, NJ.
Sister John Catherine is survived by her sister Rose Arnold and her brother Michael and his wife Helene. She also has many nieces, nephews and grand nieces and nephews.
She is predeceased by her parents, her brothers Thomas and John and her sisters Catherine Henderson, Elizabeth Warrener and Marie Murphy.
All services will be held on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, at the Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary at Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY. The wake begins at 9:00 AM followed by a Wake Service at 10:15 AM. The Mass of Christian Burial is at 11:00 AM. Burial in the Dominican Sisters’ Cemetery follows immediately.
Donations in Sister’s memory can be made to the Dominican Sisters of Hope Development Office, 299 North Highland Avenue, Ossining, New York. 10562
All arrangements are under the direction of Brooks Funeral Home, Gidney Avenue, Newburgh, New York. 12550