“MY EDUCATION AT SAINT MARY’S HAS EMPOWERED ME TO SPEAK MY MIND.”
Sister Marie Bernadette Rogers, CSC
(August 11, 1939 - October 15, 2008) 
Please, join in prayer of thanksgiving for this Sister of the Holy Cross who died on October 15, 2008.
Sister Marie Bernadette always said her only claim to fame was that she was the great, great granddaughter of Brigham Young, the second and most powerful president of the Mormon Church. However, we know from experience, that her real claim to fame is based on her gentle attentiveness to each and every person she met.
Throughout her years of ministry in education she profoundly influenced children and adults with her willingness to lead by example. She accepted her leadership role as principal as a serious responsibility. She never stood back expecting others to do the work; she was always the first to pick up a broom or a shovel or whatever it took to accomplish a task or project. Though small in stature she was mighty in effort as she unrelentingly worked to accomplish her goals.
Even while involved in the all-consuming task of school administration, she dreamed of the day “when I am not able to teach in a formal institution I would like to open a coffee shop in a very poor area for the lonely and sad.” This dream was realized when in 1998 she received a grant and with Sister Gertrude (Sullivan) opened a Welcome Center for Women in Salt Lake City. The center provided a place for socialization, prayer, education and celebrations. It was a dream come true.
Sister Marie Bernadette was devoted to family and friends and she loved them dearly. It was obvious to any observer that this love relationship was mutual as was certainly demonstrated by the family’s eagerness to take Sister on a cruise in the last months of her illness and to provide all the support care she needed for the trip. Her many “sister” friends spent hours by her bedside offering prayers, encouragement and love. None were more faithful than Sister Frances Christine (Alvarez) and Sister Esther (Black).
This prayerful religious surrendered herself to God as a young high school graduate and continued to intensify that surrender each day of her fruitful life. May she rest in peace.
Funeral arrangements for Sister Marie Bernadette are as follows: Reception of the body at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, October 17, 2008, with the funeral and eulogy at 10:30 a.m. the same day. All of these ceremonies will take place in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto. May Sister rest in peace.