A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Caroline Schafer, SCC, was celebrated on Aug. 7 at the Convent of the Holy Spirit in Northfield, Illinois. Sister Caroline of the Sisters of Christian Charity died Aug. 1 at the Convent of the Holy Spirit. She was 95 years old.
Caroline Schafer was born on Oct. 14, 1930, in Westphalia, Michigan. She entered the Sisters of Christian Charity on Aug. 11, 1945. She became a novice on Aug. 21, 1947, and was given the name Sister Lucilda. (In 1970, she reverted to using her baptismal name.) She pronounced her first vows on Aug. 21, 1949, and, six years later, on Aug. 20, 1955, she pronounced her perpetual vows.
She served as an elementary school teacher at St. Gregory School in Chicago; St. Boniface School in Sioux City, Iowa; Holy Trinity School in Chicago; and Holy Trinity School in New Ulm, Minnesota. Beginning in 1959, she was assigned to teach the upper elementary grades at St. Boniface School in Minneapolis; Immaculate Heart of Mary School in New Orleans; St. Anthony School in Gretna, Louisiana; St. Martha School in Morton Grove, Illinois; and St. Boniface School in St. Louis. She also served as a principal at St. Boniface for 10 years.
In 1980, Sister Caroline was called to the motherhouse in Wilmette, Illinois, to serve as novice directress. During the next eight years, she would also teach American history at Mallinckrodt College. After this, Sister Caroline served as principal at Holy Ghost School in South Holland, Illinois.
Sister Caroline returned to Wilmette in 1993 and served as provincial councilor for one year. She then went to Rome as general councilor. While there, she taught English at Regina Mundi Pontifical Institute. In 1995, Sister Caroline was back at the motherhouse in Wilmette, again serving as provincial councilor and superior of the motherhouse.
In 1998, Sister Caroline became administrator of Sacred Heart Convent in Wilmette. She would continue in this role until 2019 when she retired from active ministry.
Burial was in Maria Immaculata Cemetery in Wilmette.
