Sister Louise Marie Skoch once said that her life had always been exciting, rewarding, and filled with love and energy. For that reason, she said her favorite line of Mary’s Magnificat was “God who is mighty has done great things for me.” In one more great act of love, the Lord invited Louise to leave Ascension Villa Franciscan Place on January 28, 2024, and embark on the next exciting phase of her new life beyond the one she had known for almost 95 years. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 28, 1929, and named Mary Ann, Sister Louise Marie was the third child of Louise (Michalek) and Anton Skoch, immigrants from Czechoslovakia.

Starting life with two older brothers, Mary Ann later was gifted with three younger sisters, all of whom she treasured. In 1974, when writing an article for the “Catholic Chronicle” in Toledo about the importance of religious education in the home, Sister Louise Marie recalled her own religious formation as a child. “I can still see the small holy water font by the kitchen door and remember splashing it over myself while making a sign of the cross, greeting Mom and Dad with ‘Praised be Jesus Christ,’” she wrote. Her home parish, St. Procop in Cleveland, continued to nurture her faith as she attended the parish grade school and high school and was influenced by the Sisters there to join the Joliet Franciscans in 1946.

Louise Marie’s stated objective for entering the convent was “to work more efficiently for the greater honor and glory of God”…and that she did! With a B.A. in Religion and an M.A. in Theology from the College of St. Francis in Joliet and a second Master’s Degree in Religious Education from Loyola University in Chicago (Summa Cum Laude every time), Louise built an impressive resume as she taught in grade schools in Illinois and Ohio, turned to religious education in high schools in Illinois and Florida, became a diocesan consultant and then assistant director of the Office of Religious Education in Toledo, Ohio, and then took her religious education background to Colorado, North Carolina, and California.

Read More About Sister Louise Marie’s Life

If you would like to make a donation in honor of Sister Louise Marie or another Joliet Franciscan Sister, please click here:  Remembering our Deceased Sisters.