Sister Helen Donlevie, formerly Sister Joseph Dorothy, died at Saint Joseph Villa on July 16, 2011. Her funeral followed on July 20. Sister was in the 65th year of her religious life and died rather suddenly.
The youngest of eight children born to John and Elizabeth Donlevie, Helen wanted to be a sister since she was in the third grade. Helen began life in Ocean City, New Jersey. Baptized at St. Augustine’s Church, little Helen can claim the pastor there as her godfather. It was he who requested of Helen’s mother that he be granted this privilege. Helen’s mother hoped something very good would come from this!
The family moved to St. Michael’s Parish in Chester when Helen was still a child, and the stirrings of a vocation began, and deepened during her high school years at Notre Dame High School in Moylan.
For many years, Sister Helen served as an elementary school teacher in the Archdioceses of Philadelphia Newark and Baltimore. Later, she ministered on the staff of a nursing home and, still later, assisted as a driver at Mount Saint Joseph Convent. Helen’s last years were spent at Saint Joseph Villa, helping in a variety of ways with duties that defined SSJ Spirituality, “basic gospel call to love of God and love of neighbor.”
All who knew Sister Helen were keenly aware of her love of sports, especially the Phillies and the Eagles. An avid fan with fierce devotion, she was quick to wear her allegiance on her sleeve, and in recent years on her “scooter”, tooling around the Villa meeting and greeting residents and visitors alike, sporting the teams’ colors. Always cheerful and ever helpful, Sister Helen was faithful to her life of prayer, acknowledging great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Holy Spirit for guidance.
Helen’s love of family, the Congregation, and friends was evident throughout her life. In her following of Christ, in mission, Helen truly dwelt in the midst of people, and cared about them in so many ways.
Sister Helen made a “home run” on July 16th.
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