A funeral Mass for Sister Maureen Brinker, SSND, was celebrated Sept. 30 at Theresa Center Chapel in St. Louis. Sister Maureen died Sept. 24 at Veronica House at The Sarah Community in Bridgeton. She was 94.
She was the sixth of nine children born to Mary Elizabeth (Schlitt) and Charles Brinker on July 30, 1928, in St. Louis. She was baptized at St. Francis de Sales Church in St. Louis on Aug. 12, 1928, and named Shirley Mae Margaret. As a child, Shirley spent time at the Little Flower Retirement and Retreat House in St. Louis, staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Ghost. She helped the sisters and her aunt and uncle, who were employees, assisting in the care of the residents. She attended St. Francis de Sales School in St. Louis, staffed by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She would often help the sisters at school or in the convent.
After graduation, she entered the aspiranture at Sancta Maria in Ripa in St. Louis. It became clear to her that God’s call — her vocation — was to become like the School Sisters of Notre Dame who taught her. She entered the candidature at Sancta Maria in Ripa on Aug. 28, 1946. She was received into the novitiate on Aug. 2, 1948, and was given the name Maureen. She professed first vows on Aug. 3, 1949, and final vows on Aug. 3, 1955. Sister Maureen earned a bachelor’s degree in language arts from the former Notre Dame College in St. Louis in 1957, and a master’s degree in English from Saint Louis University in 1966.
Sister Maureen ministered in education for 51 years as an elementary, secondary and college teacher. As a second-year candidate, she was sent to teach 56 second graders at St. Mary’s in New Orleans. After profession, she taught at All Souls School in Overland for seven years. She was a secondary teacher for 18 years, teaching in the Archdiocese of St. Louis at Notre Dame High School and St. Alphonsus (Rock) High Schools in St. Louis; St. Francis Borgia High School in Washington; and at schools in California, Iowa and Illinois.
She spent four years as a college teacher at the former Notre Dame College. Following the school’s closure, she taught for 21 years at Notre Dame Women’s College (now University) in Kyoto, Japan, until her mandatory retirement in 1999. Returning to the United States, she enjoyed a sabbatical.
Sister Maureen then served as a receptionist and office manager for Catholic Family Counseling, and later, as an office manager for the National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved in St. Louis. From 2005-18, she was a bookkeeper in the Finance Office of the former St. Louis Province. She performed voluntary service at Theresa Center at Sancta Maria in Ripa, until she was missioned to Veronica House.
She was one of the coordinators of a summer program in Japan and often was a translator for non-Japanese speaking participants. She was a gifted linguist, knowing Latin, French and Japanese.
Burial was in Sancta Maria in Ripa Cemetery in St. Louis.
