Sister Kathleen Theresa Sullivan, CSJ, died Nov. 11, at age 96. She lived the life of a Sister of Saint Joseph of Brentwood for almost 80 years. Sister Kathleen was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Saint John the Evangelist Parish with her loving parents, three sisters, and two brothers.
She graduated from Saint John the Evangelist Elementary School and Saint Joseph’s Juniorate, and entered the Convent on Sept. 8, 1942. She began her teaching ministry in Our Lady of Victory School (Brooklyn) and went on to teach in Saint Mary’s (Brooklyn), Saint Patrick (Long Island City), Saint Cecilia, and Saint Francis de Sales. For the next 10 years, Sister Kathleen was missioned in Ponce, Puerto Rico where she taught at Colegio San Conrado and Academia Santa Maria.
Sister Kathleen earned a BA from the Catholic University of Puerto Rico and later, on returning to the Diocese of Brooklyn, an MA in Counseling and Psychology from Manhattan College and NYS Certification as a School Guidance Counselor. Sister taught the upper grades at Saint Anthony of Padua, Visitation, Saint Malachy, Saint Pascal Baylon, and Transfiguration, and then served as a guidance counselor for 10 years at Immaculate Conception in Jamaica and Holy Name in Brooklyn.
She enrolled at the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health and earned Certification in Pastoral Counseling while ministering at Calvary and Misericordia Hospitals as a chaplain. For the last 20 years of active ministry, Sister Kathleen could be found at Saint Joseph Convent and later at Maria Regina Residence visiting the sick, praying with them and comforting them.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in Sacred Heart Chapel on Nov 17. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery in Brentwood.
Sister Madeline Power, S.C, formerly Sister Rose Madeline, a Sister of Charity-Halifax for 69 years, died on Nov. 27, at the age of 95. She is survived by her brothers, Gerald and Maurice, and sisters, Patricia Hanrahan, Eileen Power, all of Marystown, Newfoundland; and Roseanne Vardy of Halifax, Nova Scotia; as well as many nieces and nephews and all her sisters in community.
Sister Madeline was missioned to Saint Sylvester Convent, Brooklyn, from 1964-65 as the housekeeper and cook. She was also missioned in Saint Barnabas Convent, Bellmore from 1965-67, Massachusetts, Nova Scotia, Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia. For 36 years, she provided housekeeping and dietary services.
A large part of her vocation was dedicated to pastoral ministries in various hospitals, homes for the aged, and caring for new mothers and babies. She was retired and lived at Caritas Residence, Halifax, Nova Scotia, from November 2008 until her death.
Msgr. Nicholas V. Grieco, a longtime priest of the Diocese of Bridgeport, entered into eternity on Nov. 27. Born in Brooklyn, on April 7, 1933, he is survived by his sister, Isabelle Grieco also of Brooklyn, and several cousins. He is predeceased by his parents, Nicola and Maria Domenica (Rinaldi) Grieco, his brother, Joseph, and his sister, Stella.
Since his ordination on June 6, 1959, Msgr. Grieco led a highly productive and varied life in service to his diocese. He had been a missionary, parish curate, elementary school principal, director of religious education, spiritual director, director of communications, media expert, pastor, and founder/editor of Fairfield County Catholic — Bridgeport’s diocesan newspaper. He also served as associate pastor at Saint Edward the Confessor Parish (New Fairfield), Sacred Heart Parish (Stamford), and Saint Maurice Parish (Stamford).
From 1992-2009, Msgr. Grieco was Pastor of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish (Weston) where, among other innovations, he founded a Montessori preschool and shepherded the expansion and construction of the new parish hall. Serving five consecutive bishops, Msgr. Grieco had been an active member of the Diocesan Liturgical and Ecumenical Commissions, Secretary to the Bishop for Evangelization, territorial Vicar for Vicariate II, and member of the Diocesan Board of Consultors.
Since his retirement, he lived at the Queen of the Clergy Residence in Stamford.