Sister M. Monica Crnkovich

SISTER M. MONICA CRNKOVICH, SAC (Mary Ann) a member of the Pallottine Missionary Sisters, died on July 8, 2007, at the age of 88, at St. Mary's Convent Infirmary in Huntington, WV.   Sister Monica was born on January 27, 1919 in Anawalt, West Virginia.  Sister was one of eight children of the late George and Antonija (Visick) Crnkovich. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one sister, Elizabeth.   She is survived by four sisters, Sr. M. Marguerite (SAC), Sr. M. Annette (SAC), Mrs. Patrick (Katherine) Caldwell, and Antoinette Paas all of Huntington, WV; a brother, Nick and his wife, Marjorie, from Kettering, Ohio and another brother, Thomas, also of Huntington, WV, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.  Sister Monica entered the Pallottine Missionary Sisters on December 7, 1942 in Huntington, WV.   She made her first profession of religious vows as a Pallottine Missionary Sister on August 15, 1945, and her final vows as a Pallottine Missionary Sister at St. Mary's Hospital Chapel in Huntington, WV on August 15, 1951.  Sister graduated from Gary High School in Gary, West Virginia; St. Mary's School of Nursing.  She attended Catholic University in Washington, D.C. where she earned her B.S.N.  She took courses in administration at St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO and Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio.  She earned her Clinical Pastoral Education at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD.  After having served in Illinois in catechetical ministry for two years, she returned to Huntington to complete her nursing education at St. Mary's School of Nursing.  She served as hospital administrator at St. Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Morgantown, St. Mary's Hospital in Huntington, and Sacred Heart Hospital in Richwood, West Virginia.  After retiring from administration and upon completion of her Clinical Pastoral Education certification, she established the pastoral care department at St. Mary's Hospital.  She ministered for 17 years in pastoral care until she retired in 2003.  Sister served a total of 51 years in Catholic health care ministry in various capacities in West Virginia. Sister Monica also served on the Board of Directors for St. Mary's School of Nursing Alumni Association for many years.  Visitation will be on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Foyer outside the main Hospital Chapel on the first floor of the East Wing at St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington, WV.  Visitation will close with a wake service in the Chapel at 7:30 p.m.  The Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated by Rev. Leigh Fuller, S.J. at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 in the Chapel at St. Mary's Medical Center. Burial will follow at Spring Hill Cemetery, in Huntington, West Virginia.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Pallottine Sisters' Retirement Fund.  Beard Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.  Reserved parking for the funeral will be behind the hospital off the alley to the left at the end of 29th Street.

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