Sister of Charity of Nazareth Elizabeth “Liz” Wendeln, a former leader of her congregation, died Nov. 6 in Louisville. She was 85 and had been an SCN for 65 years.
Sister Wendeln, born Marie Dorothea, was a native of Bronx, New York. Her earliest ministries were in education, teaching at St. Benedict School in Lebanon Junction, Ky., St. Gabriel and Holy Family schools in Louisville, and in Massachusetts. She also served as the principal of St. Benedict.
She ministered in religious education through the Rural Office of Religious Education of the Archdiocese of Louisville, serving 30 counties. Sister Wendeln also trained the first pastoral team from Sacred Heart Parish in the Diocese of Belize, laying the foundation for lay leadership in the diocese.
Following her time in education, she served as the director of the Commission on Councils for the archdiocese. She also worked in the Diocese of Lexington.
Sister Wendeln served her SCN community as the director of temporary professed and later as the director of novices. She also served in regional leadership for the northern region and was then elected president of the SCN congregation. She served as chair of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Health System and was instrumental in moving the SCN hospitals to the new Catholic Health Initiative system.
Sister Wendeln also volunteered with Sister Visitor Center.
She is survived by a brother, Theodore Wendeln and his wife Jerri, a sister Betty Wendeln, cousins, nieces and nephews, grand nieces and nephews, great-grand nieces and nephews and her religious community.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Nov. 11 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Nazareth, Ky., followed by burial in Nazareth Cemetery. Visitation will be Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul. The funeral will be available to watch online at https://nazareth.org/live.
Memorial gifts may be offered to the SCN Office of Mission Advancement, P.O. Box 9, Nazareth, Ky., 40048.
Sister Liz was a wonderful person. I enjoyed getting to know her.