In Remembrance: Sister Mary Schrader
On Friday, November 10, we said goodbye to one of our first tutors and a vital part of Seeds of Literacy’s early days.
Sister Mary Schrader tutored from 1997 to 2003, prior to Seeds becoming an independent organization. A member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, Sister Mary also served on the Seeds of Literacy Board of Directors, where she held a variety of leadership positions. She helped lay the foundation on which Seeds of Literacy grew and we will forever be grateful.
From the Sisters of the Congregation of St. Joseph
Religious Dates
Entrance: September 4, 1960
Reception: August 21, 1961
First Vows: August 15, 1963
Final Vows: August 12, 1968
Mary Schrader was born in 1943 in Canton, Ohio. Her parents were Amadeus Schrader, a machinist for the Wagner Steam Pump Company, and Margaret Karcher Schrader, a beautician. Mary’s family belonged to St. Joseph Parish in Canton and the children attended the school which was staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph.
Mary spent a lot of time helping the sisters at school and with church work. She recalled fondly how Sisters Grace Crone, Elizabeth Ann Brady, Angela Kelly and Mary Pius Pinkerton guided her into her teen years and prepared her for high school. Through these interactions, Mary eventually decided she wanted to be a sister and joined the preparate of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Cleveland. Mary’s was the last group to enter as postulants in their senior year of high school. She received the habit and religious name, Sister Catherine Mary, in 1961.
For Mary, this was a time of expanding horizons in both education and spirituality. The winds of change (resulting from Vatican II) were beginning to stir. Mary and her classmates made final vows in 1968, the first group to do so in our “Jerry Laurie suits”.
Mary began her college years at St. John College in Cleveland. Her ministries included the following: teaching at St. Vincent de Paul, Elyria (1966-68); Nazareth, Academy, Parma
(1968-75); St. Peter, Akron (1975-76); St. Francis de Sales, Akron (1976-78); Immaculate Conception, Fairbanks, Alaska (1978-80) and 1985-89); St. Theresa Mission/ Hooper Bay on the Bering Sea (1980-85).
In addition to teaching, Mary’s ministry in Alaska also included a variety of experiences – school librarian, director of religious education, sacramental preparation, and church work. Mary said, “The experience of being a minority and the distant, isolated location challenged me to new levels of self-discovery. I learned that I could do many things that I’d never been asked to do, that I could be self-sufficient, and that I was comfortable being by myself. I also learned the value of community.”
Mary returned to Cleveland in 1993. She served as Communications/Development Director for the CSJ community and did teaching/tutoring in various places. Beginning in 1998, Mary served two terms on the Congregational Leadership Team (CLT), the first one with Sisters Pat Kozak and Mary Brinkman, the second one with Sisters Pat Kozak and Jeanne Cmolik. Mary saw many blessings and graced opportunities in ministering to her sisters. Probably the greatest gift was getting to know more of her community members.
After her time in administration, Mary lived at St. Joseph Village and St. Joseph Hall, and volunteered at Voss Industries (tutoring), St. Augustine Parish (hunger center), Our Lady of Angels School (tutoring), and at Arden Court in Westlake (working with patients suffering from dementia). Mary herself became a victim of early-onset dementia and went to live at Arden Court, continuing to serve others there.
May Mary enjoy rest and peace in heaven.
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