Rose Mary Wessel

Sr. Rose Mary Wessel, MSC, (Sr. Aquinas) passed away peacefully on December 20, 2024, at Trinity Trace Community Care Center in Covington, Louisiana, at the age of 93. She was born on July 12, 1931, in New Orleans to John and Amelia Kaiser Wessel.

Sr. Rose Mary was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers, Donald, Dennis, and John. She is survived by her sister, Betty Bohm; her sister-in-law, Gerry Wessel; her nephews John Wessel, Rich Bohm, and Rudolph Bohm; and her nieces Wendy and Sabrina Wessel, along with several grand-nieces and nephews. 

In 1948, Sr. Rose Mary entered the Marianites of Holy Cross and professed her final vows in 1953. She dedicated her life to education and ministry, earning a Bachelor of Arts from Holy Angels Normal College and a Master of Arts in Religious Education from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Over the years, she served as a teacher in elementary schools and held roles as a religion coordinator, adult education coordinator, and pastoral assistant at various schools and parishes. Additionally, she contributed to the community as the Director of Educational Services for WLAE-TV in New Orleans. In her retirement Rose Mary volunteered in the gift shop at St. Joseph Abbey, which was one of her very favorite places. 

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Sr. Rose Mary had a passion for photography and videography, which brought her joy and allowed her to capture moments that reflected the beauty of life. She was well-known for her quick wit and sly sense of humor. No one was ever left wondering what Rose Mary thought, as she was ready to give her opinion or share her knowledge on just about any topic. 

Sr. Rose Mary wrote in 1975:

“True faith is the open hand and the open heart which gratefully receives the gift of the Lord that has already been given? It is only through this “relaxed grasp” that we can share our gifts with others, thereby emptying our hands only to have them filled once again with he gifts of God! It is because I have been so gifted by the Lord that I want to shout out my very own “yo-da-lay-dee-oooo” of praise to the Lord so that it might fill the hills and valleys of my own life space. It is in the echoing of my own song of praise that I join the psalmist when he says: ‘Yahweh is the God of my salvation; I trust in him and have no fear. I sing of the joy which his love given to me, and I draw deeply from the springs of his great kindness!’” 

May her faith be realized in the joy of eternal life!

Funeral services will be held at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Covington, Louisiana on Friday December 27, 2024. The wake will begin at 9:00 AM, followed by a funeral Mass at 10:30 AM. Burial will take place at the Marianite Mausoleum on the grounds of Our Lady of Wisdom in Algiers, Louisiana.