Sister Judy Rinek, SNJM
Sister Judith Miriam

September 5, 1953–March 23, 2010 (Orange, CA)

Judith Ayers Rinek was born on September 5, 1943, in Hartford, Connecticut, to John Ayers Rinek and Rita Coulomb Rinek. She was the first child and was followed by her siblings John, Larry, Steve and Marilyn. Her father's birthplace was Eaton, Pennsylvania, and her mother's was Gorham, New Hampshire.

Judy completed her elementary education at Sedgwick School in West Hartford, Connecticut. When she was fourteen years of age, and in the ninth grade, the family moved from Connecticut to California. Judy describes this move as her earliest trauma as it meant being cut off from childhood friends and from the culture and expectations that were second nature to her. In California she attended and graduated from Arcadia High School. During this time she developed her intellectual skills and, upon graduation, was awarded a four-year college scholarship to Holy Names College in Oakland.

On April 17, 1963, Judy wrote to Mother William Marie, Provincial Superior, "Although I have known the Holy Names Community for only two years, I love the spirit manifested in the ideals of Mother Marie Rose and in the dedicated life of the Holy Names Sisters. In the Sisters I perceive the 'active contemplative' that I strive to be — a dedicated teacher motivated and sustained by the love of God. Particularly distinctive is their genuine love that enables all they do." In this letter Judy requested admission to the Congregation, and on August 30, 1963, she entered the Novitiate in Los Gatos.

After completing her period of religious formation, Judy pronounced her first vows on February 22, 1966, and was given the name Sister Judith Miriam. After one year teaching and supervising the residents at Ramona Convent Secondary School in Alhambra, Sister Judith Miriam was assigned to study at Holy Names College and teaching at Holy Names High School in Oakland. On August 2, 1970, Sister Judith was part of the group who pronounced final vows at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Oakland.

For ten years, Sister's teaching in the fields of mathematics, science and religion, plus moderating the yearbook, gave her ample scope for her creativity and use of her skills to keep her students interested and challenged. Sister became the first Campus Minister at Holy Names High School and introduced new programs for student involvement in a variety of areas, particularly in liturgy and hospitality.

As the founder of Campus Ministry at Holy Names College, she served in this capacity from 1977 to 1982. Later she brought her enthusiasm for campus life to St. Mary's College, San Gabriel Valley Community College and the University of La Verne. For several years she also served as a residence hall counselor.

In addition to her degree in biology from Holy Names College, Sister Judy obtained a Master of Science in Biology from Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, a Master of Divinity from the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley, California, and a Master of Arts in Theology from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley.

On September 1, 1993, Sister Judy became the first program director and first woman member of the retreat team at Manresa Jesuit Retreat Center in Azusa. The team of three priests, a brother and Sister Judy served over 6,000 people yearly in a variety of weekend/weekday retreats. Following the close of Manresa Jesuit Retreat Center, Sister Judy began her ministry at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre. She spent eleven years at Mater Dolorosa. In the fall of 2000, Sister Judy spent three months from September to December participating in a program at Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Israel. Islamic, Hebrew and Christian scholars guided the program through the various holy places and historical moments. A special challenge was the formation of small communities among the participants for prayer and conversation.In 2005 Sister Judy authored "Conversation and Conversion by the Well", a handbook for the directors of the Samaritan Woman Directed Retreat, created by Almita Bey-Carrion. With the publication of this handbook, Sister Judy succeeded in promoting this customized retreat and making it more appealing to a broader audience.

In the fall of 2002, Sister Judy became chronically ill with respiratory distress and coughing. In 2005 Sister Judy wrote that she "dealt with a cough that would not quit, a tired, weakened and feverish body, difficulty in breathing and the scare of a biopsy." After many tests, this condition was diagnosed as lung cancer, which spread to stage-4 breast cancer and later to her bones. She died peacefully about 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, 2010.

The Hand of God Shall Hold You!
The hand of God shall hold you; the peace of God enfold you;
The love that dreamed and formed you shall surround you here today;
The light of God beside you, above, beneath, in side you...
The light that shines to guide you home to the loving hand of God.