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Sister Jeanne Virginia Heinisch, SNJM
Sister Mary of Nazareth
Los Gatos, California
Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful;
For beauty is God's handwriting…a wayside sacrament.
Welcome it in every fair face,
in every fair sky, in every fair flower,
and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.
(RALPH WALDO EMERSON)
Jeanne Virginia Heinisch was born December 2, 1927, in Alhambra, California, to Richard Anton Heinisch and Jeanne Elizabeth Greene. She had one younger sibling, Marilyn.
At age four, Jeanne experienced her greatest loss when her mother died giving birth to Jeanne's younger sister Marilyn. Jeanne's father remarried, but after a few years Jeanne once again experienced loss, this time of her stepmother who died when Jeanne was only six years old. Then Jeanne and Marilyn's aunt and uncle raised the young girls with the help of their dad in their Alhambra home.
Jeanne began and completed her elementary education with the Sisters of the Holy Names at All Souls School in Alhambra. During these formative years she grew in grace…and in "height"…a condition that made her very self?conscious among the others in her class. However, she derived great joy from her teachers and from participation in the school's musical stage productions and other activities. While in the first grade she met Helen O'Sullivan, who would become her life?long friend.
By the time Jeanne graduated from All Souls School, her father had remarried, and she was introduced to her second stepmother and a very different kind of home life. During this challenging transition, Jeanne became an avid reader, which served as a great escape from the reality she was living.
In the ninth grade Jeanne enrolled at Ramona Convent in Alhambra, California. Here she was encouraged by Sister Theresa Agnes to take violin lessons so she could be in the orchestra. Her friend Helen O'Sullivan had already signed up for clarinet. Each morning the two girls, loaded with books, violin and clarinet, pedaled their bikes to Ramona and together enjoyed practicing on their instruments, soon earning membership in the Ramona Convent Orchestra. Other teachers contributed to Jeanne's appreciation for English, literature and history, all of which proved valuable in her teaching years.
At the end of her junior year, Jeanne's parents decided to enroll her as a boarder at Ramona. This was a welcome relief since life with her stepmother had not been easy. The loving care and guidance from the Sisters had a strong influence and this influence became a persistent invitation to join the Community. She learned about Mother Marie Rose and much more from the example of her many teachers. It was inevitable that Jeanne's calling was to be a Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.
In July of 1945, following high school graduation, Jeanne and her childhood friend Helen O'Sullivan were accepted into the Holy Names Novitiate in Oakland, California.
Although novitiate life would consist of many challenges, Jeanne always encouraged Helen with her mantra "We can get through this"….and so they did! First Profession of Vows was pronounced at College of the Holy Names Chapel in Oakland, California, on August 5, 1947 and Jeanne was given the name Sister Mary of Nazareth.
Sister Mary of Nazareth received her B. A. in English and her teaching credential from College of the Holy Names in Oakland, California. She received her M. A. in Cinema from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.
During her years of teaching on the elementary level, she taught at various schools: Sacred Heart School in Oakland; St. Cecilia in San Francisco; Our Lady of Lourdes in Oakland; St. Elizabeth in Altadena; St. Mark in Venice; Marylrose in Oakland; Ramona Convent in Alhambra; St. Gerard Majella in Los Angeles, and St. Mary in Los Gatos. A challenging experience was teaching 100 first graders in the temporary bungalows in Venice.
On the secondary level, Sister Jeanne Virginia first taught at Holy Names High School in Oakland. In 1966 Sister began her rewarding and challenging time at St. Monica High School in Santa Monica, California, where she combined her writing skills, creativity, love of film and drama into interesting English classes for the students. As chair of the English Department, she developed English curricula and creative teaching ideas. She also moderated the school newspapers and yearbook. She felt that her years at St. Monica helped her to grow spiritually and professionally and provided stability and growth.
In 1982, Sister Jeanne Virginia began another career, this time by volunteering to work with poor and chronically mentally ill seniors. She was hired as Director of Volunteers at the Center for Healthy Aging in Santa Monica. Later she ministered at St. John of God Hospital in Los Angeles where she was in charge of developing and organizing programs for volunteers. She was a lightening rod of creative ideas for this institution and succeeded in developing wonderful changes for the residents.
When her health failed and she could no longer continue her ministry at St. John of God Hospital, she semi?retired to St. Andrew Convent in Pasadena, California, where she had been in residence for some years. Periods of ill health and hospitalization followed, and when the Sisters no longer resided in the parish convent, Sister moved to the Alhambra Retirement Community where, with her usual joy of living, she got along well with the other residents and even became a member of the Residents' Board.
At last her life came full circle and she moved to the Care Center in Los Gatos on August 25, 2009. Although for many years Sister Jeanne had serious setbacks regarding her health, the continued to live her mantra, "We can get through this!"…and so she did! She suffered with patience and acceptance as her physical condition declined. In her last days due to her history of cancer and other physical problems, she became visibly weaker. Hospice was called to attend to Sister Jeanne.
The Sisters gathered to say the prayers for the dying and on January 3, 2010, Sister Jeanne Virginia Heinisch, at age 83 and 63 years of religious profession, died peacefully in the Care Center at Los Gatos.
The Mass of Resurrection was on January 7, 2010 in Holy Names Convent Chapel. Presider was Reverend Howard Bleichner, S.S., and homilist was Reverend Henry Ormond, O.Carm., who spoke about his first grade teacher, Sister Jeanne Virginia, and his memories and feelings of appreciation for her presence in his life. The welcome at the beginning of the liturgy was offered by Sister Barbara Carroll and blessing of the pall by Sister Eleanore Maloney. Sister Joan Frances Ortega gave the first reading from Isaiah 25:6, 7?9 and Sister Sally Gunn read the General Intercessions. Reflections on the life of Sister Jeanne Virginia, read by Sister Donna Maynard, were prepared by Sister Barbara Carroll, who entered with her in 1945, and Sister Helen O'Sullivan, her loving friend since the first grade. The Rite of Committal was on January 8, 2010 at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward, California.
This quote from The Daybook is appropriate for remembering the life of Sister Jeanne Virginia Heinisch:
Where we came from, why we are here, where we are going, and who we are,
are all mysteries.
Yet, we are in no way mere scribbling on the wall;
We are words spoken by the One Unimaginable Cry uttered on the first dawn.
We do not initiate our lives;
We are called into being and are first and always a response, a reflex, and a returning.
(The Daybook)
