Sister Caroline Sanchez

May 24, 1935 - July 15, 2025 (formerly Sr. Francis Xavier)
We remember with gratitude the life of Sister Caroline Sanchez who was a Sister of Notre Dame for 73 years. She died peacefully at the age of 90 in Los Angeles, CA, where she lived and ministered for the past 33 years.
Sister Caroline entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1952 after attending St. Mary's Academy in Los Angeles. A beloved elementary school teacher for 20 years, she served in schools in Santa Clara, Salinas, Marysville, Chico, Campbell, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles, CA, and in Des Moines WA. In 1976 she began a sixteen- year period as an infirmarian for older Sisters at Notre Dame Villa in Saratoga. Along the way she became a Licensed Vocational Nurse, and during the time she ministered at the Villa she also lived and worked at the Casa de Clara Catholic Worker Shelter for homeless women.
In 1992 Caroline returned to her home parish of St. Columbkille in Los Angeles. There she became involved in various ministries including as leader of a Women's Literacy Program, ESL teacher, Notre Dame Mission Volunteers AmeriCorps site director, and head of the St. Julie Billiart Learning Center. At the parish Sr. Caroline was active in the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the school library up to the day of her death. In 2017, Sister Caroline was honored with the Papal Benemerenti Medal (Bene Merenti means well deserving) for her outstanding service to the Church in Los Angeles and to St. Columbkille parish.
Known for being caring and always smiling, Sister Caroline was deeply involved in inter- ommunity justice and peace issues and especially valued being part of multi- cultural experiences. She stated, "I particularly love working in the inner city. It enlivens me. And I love that the congregation is engaged in justice issues."
Daughter of Edwin and Rose Sanchez, sister of Ernest Sanchez and Sr. Mary Clare Sanchez, SNDdeN (all deceased), she is lovingly remembered by her sister Margaret Sanchez Jorgensen, her nieces and nephews, grand and great-grand nieces and nephews, friends, former students, and Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
Viewing of the body will be at St. Columbkille Church in Los Angeles from 1:00 - 6:30 pm on Wednesday, August 6, followed by her funeral Mass at 7:00 pm. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Province Center in Belmont at 11:00 am on Wednesday, August 27, followed by burial at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery in Santa Clara at 2:30 pm.
Contributions in Sister Caroline's memory may be made to Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, 1520 Ralston Ave, Belmont, CA 94002 or online at snddeneastwest.org. For further information about her life, go to https://snddeneastwest.org/sisters/caroline-sanchez/.