Sister Marie Ann Brent, SHF, died peacefully and suddenly at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of the Holy Family in Fremont on November 22, 2017, at the age of 83. She was born on November 18, 1934, in Oakland, California, and entered the Sisters of the Holy Family from St. Andrew’s Parish there on January 6, 1953, at the age of 18.
Sister Marie Ann served in day homes and religious education in parishes in southern California, the Bay Area and Texas until the early 1970s when she went to Alaska to help out in summer religious education programs. The rest is history! The Alaska tourism commission has a saying, “Once you come to Alaska, you never go all the way home.” This was certainly true of Sister Marie Ann.
She served in Southeastern Alaska, in Sitka and in the smallest missions and villages in the scattered islands. The also served in the remote Aleutian Islands, far western Alaska, and most recently as pastoral administrator of the parish in Valdez. In addition to pastoral and liturgical activities, she was also deeply involved in emergency medical service and chaplaincies with first responders.
In 2014, Sister’s medical and physical conditions forced her to return to California where she could receive the care she needed among her Sisters of the Holy Family.
There will be a memorial mass at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church Wednesday December 6th at 6:00 pm and a potluck following the memorial mass in the parish hall.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the Sisters of the Holy Family, PO Box 3248, Fremont, CA 94539.
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