Sister Jonathan Lynch, OP, was called home on Feb. 4 to the God she served as a Sister of St. Dominic for almost 75 years. She was 96.
On Aug. 20, 1927, Edward and Ascension Garriga Lynch welcomed twin sisters Joan and Anne, both of whom were destined to be Sisters of St. Dominic. Joan, with her sisters and brothers, was raised in Richmond Hill.
After graduating from high school, Joan went to Mary Immaculate School of Nursing, Jamaica, NY, to study to be a Registered Nurse (R.N.). On Sept. 8, 1949, she entered the Novitiate at Amityville, and on Aug. 4, 1950, she received the habit and her religious name, Sister Jonathan. She pronounced first vows on Aug. 6, 1951 and final vows on Aug. 6, 1954.
Sister Jonathan received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at St. John’s University, Jamaica, NY, and both a Master of Arts and a Master of Education at Columbia University Teachers College.
A skilled and dedicated nurse, she first ministered as the R.N. at the Motherhouse in Amityville. From 1951 to 1954, she was a staff nurse at St. Catherine Hospital, Brooklyn, NY.
For the next seven years, Sister Jonathan was Director of the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic in San Juan, Puerto Rico. While there, she lived in community at Convento Santo Tomas de Aquino, San Juan. From 1962-1966, Sister Jonathan was an instructor at St. Catherine School of Nursing, Brooklyn. In 1966, she joined the faculty at Molloy College as Assistant Professor of Nursing, and in 1975 she assumed the role of Director of Health Related Services at the College. Among the faculty and students, Sister Jonathan was known as a caring and compassionate nurse.
In 1985, she returned to Amityville, first as the Motherhouse nurse, then as a volunteer in retirement. For many years she was leader of song at Mass. A deeply prayerful woman, she truly embraced the the life of a Dominican sister.
Sister Jonathan is survived by her cherished twin, Sister Ascension, by her nieces and nephew and their families, and by her loving sisters in community.
The wake and funeral for Sister Jonathan were held in St. Albert Chapel on Thursday, Feb. 8. A Mass of Christian Burial was followed by interment in St. Dominic Cemetery on the Motherhouse grounds.
Sister Dolores Frances Crepeau, CSJ, a Sister of St. Joseph for 55 years, died on Dec. 31, 2023, at St. Joseph Convent, Brentwood, N.Y., at the age of 74.
Dolores grew up in Holy Cross Parish. She attended Holy Cross Elementary School and St. Brendan’s High School. In 1968, Dolores entered the Sisters of St. Joseph to begin a life dedicated to serving the people of God.
In the years that followed, Sister Dolores earned a BA in Child Study/Sociology from St. Joseph College, an MS and PD in Counseling from Fordham University and certification in many fields, including counseling and administration, to address the concerns of the young people she would meet in the future.
In 1973, Sister Dolores was assigned to teach religion and science at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School in Brooklyn. This was the beginning of a relationship with the people of the parish that lasted 50 years, including 45 years as a catechist, where she made the Gospel come alive for the fourth-graders in the Faith Formation program.
Sister Dolores joined her life of prayer with everyday events and went out of her way to help all she met. Students at St. Augustine-St. Francis Xavier, Brooklyn; Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Brooklyn; Bishop Kearney High School, Brooklyn; St. Michael Academy, New York; LaSalle Academy, New York; and Cristo Rey, Brooklyn, benefitted from her guidance.
As principal at St. Thomas Aquinas, Fontbonne Hall Academy, and Our Lady of Guadalupe School (all in Brooklyn), Dolores created an atmosphere of “strict but fair” in meeting with students, faculty, and parents.
Rev. Frank Tumino, pastor of St. Augustine-St. Francis Xavier, celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial at St. Francis Xavier Church on Jan. 6. Burial followed at Calvary