Sr Catherine Anne Dean RSJ died on 23 July 2020 at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne at the age of 65, in the thirty-third year of her Religious Profession. 

This treasured Josephite was born in Bairnsdale, Victoria on 6 June,1955,  the third daughter of Eileen and Lance Dean (both deceased). Loved sister and sister-in-law of Gail and David, Steven and Wendy, Julie and Neil, Mark and Tanya, Mary-Louise and Kevin and Paula and Tony.

Her generous and caring nature led her to train as a mothercraft nurse at Broadmeadows Babies’ Home and to work as a lay missionary in Western Australia and then to join the Sisters of St Joseph in 1985.  Sr Cathy was professed with Sr Geraldine Larkins RSJ in 1988.

Sr Cathy earned a Diploma of Ministry, Clinical Pastoral Experience (CPE), and a Bachelor of Social Science (Pastoral Studies).

She ministered in the communities across Victoria including, Altona, Werribee, Ouyen, Swan Hill, Sea Lake, Cranbourne, Mary MacKillop Aged Care, Footscray, Koo Wee Rup/Packenham and Numurkah/Shepparton.  She also ministered with the Josephites in Peru. 

In 2020 Sr Cathy was elected to the Regional Leadership Team of Victoria/ Tasmania. Sr Cathy was a positive, enthusiastic and much-loved member of the congregation and she will be greatly missed.  Sr Janet Nolan RSJ asks for us to pray for Sr Cathy, her family, the Josephites and Parish of Numurkah as they mourn the loss of Sr Cathy. 

Fr Michael Grace, Parish Priest at Numurkah said Sr Cathy “will be sadly missed by all. May the Risen Lord grant peace to Sr Cathy, who will remain in our thoughts and prayers”.

Mass of Christian Burial for Sr Catherine Dean will be webcast live on Tuesday 28 July, 2020 at 12.00 noon. 

To access tributes to Sr Cathy and the livestream of her Funeral Mass, visit the Tobin Brothers website, or click here.

https://tobinbrothers.com.au/tribute/details/16870/Sr-Catherine-Dean/obituary.html#tribute-start