Sister Kathleen Appler, D.C., Superioress General of the Daughters of Charity, died on March 18, at the Daughters’ Motherhouse in Paris after a long, courageous battle with cancer. She was 68.

Sister Kathleen was elected Superioress General of the worldwide Community at the General Assembly of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul on May 25, 2015. She was the first American and only the second non-French Daughter to be elected Superioress General. In August 2019, she was named to the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life by Pope Francis.

Born in Utica, New York, on Feb. 23, 1952, Sister Kathleen was one of 10 —6 girls and 4 boys— children born to George and Mary (Fahy) Appler. She was a 1970 graduate of Utica Catholic Academy, Utica.

In April of 1973, Sister entered the Daughters of Charity from St. Paul’s Parish in Whitesboro, New York.

She earned her A.A. degree in Liberal Arts from Maria Regina College, Syracuse, New York, in 1975; her B.A. degree in English Literature from Sacred Heart University, Bridgeport, Conn., in 1978; a Master’s in Elementary Education from SUNY, Cortland, in 1984.

Sister Kathleen served at St. John’s Parish Center, Brooklyn. She was the local Superior of the community in Brooklyn from 1997 to 1999.

A funeral Mass was celebrated on March 24, at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Paris, France.