In Loving Memory...

Sister M. Georgina, CSC
(Vivian Estelle Wilson)
Birth: December 17, 1917
Profession: February 2, 1941
Death: March 22, 2008

Sister M. Georgina was born in Landover, Maryland, to the late Joseph Wilson, a successful dairy farmer, and Georgia Wallis. Sister Georgina was the youngest of 11 children and is survived by many nieces and nephews and friends. All her brothers and sisters have predeceased her.

During the years when Sister Georgina grew up, Landover was in an undeveloped, rural area. Those who are football fans may have made a connection between her home of Landover and the Washington, D.C., football team, the Washington Redskins. For years the Redskins played their games at the stadium named for Robert F. Kennedy in Washington. As the population of D.C. grew and interest in sports did likewise, that stadium became too small to accommodate the crowd of fans. Provident businessmen purchased the Wilson farm and eventually a new stadium was built on the property. Anytime you see the Redskins in action on their home turf, you are seeing the ground on which Sister Georgina and her brothers and sisters were reared.

Sister Georgina’s elementary education was accomplished in a one-room school in Maryland. She continued her schooling in Washington, D.C., at Saint Patrick’s with the Sisters of the Holy Cross and at Notre Dame High School with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She attended Dunbarton College in Washington, D.C., and Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, where she received a bachelor’s degree in business.

The idea of a religious vocation had occurred to her often during her high school and college years and she decided to enter following her graduation from Dunbarton. She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1938, and in 1941 she began her teaching career in academies in Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. The girls she taught were devoted to her and each time she was changed, many unhappy former students were left behind. Her students at the two academies in Washington were so well prepared, they had no problem securing employment in the federal government after their graduation. The agents who checked background and references of job applicants often mentioned how pleased they were to have Sister Georgina’s students apply for work in their offices.

In 1952 Sister Georgina began her longest consecutive assignment: 20 years at Dunbarton College. For most of those years, she was the registrar of the college and also was involved in public relations, supervision and counseling.

When Dunbarton College closed, Sister Georgina returned to the classroom for the next 15 years. She joined other Holy Cross sisters and taught business subjects for 12 years at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. Her last three years were at Saint Anthony’s High School in Long Beach, California, which was a school staffed by Holy Cross brothers.

In 1987, the time had come for a less taxing ministry, which did not involve lesson planning, correcting test papers and preparing report cards. She transitioned into working in a newly opened high school in Santa Margarita, California, as an office assistant performing clerical duties for one year, and then from 1988 until 1997 she managed the school’s bookstore.

As she approached the age of 80, she realized it was time to think about the future and the possible need for nursing care and the fact that she was living alone in an area where no other Sisters of the Holy Cross resided. However, even when she lived alone, she was never isolated from other Holy Cross sisters because she maintained regular contact, particularly with those in the Southern California area.

During her last three years in Rancho Santa Margarita, I was privileged to be one of those sisters who built a bond of friendship as I assisted in preparing her quarterly financial reports for the community. Because it was over an hour’s drive from the Los Angeles area where I lived to Rancho Santa Margarita, we always planned a day of work, play and prayer together. I treasure those times of getting to know her, the high school where she worked, and the parish where she worshipped. She participated as much as possible in the activities related to the school and the parish. I witnessed the fact that she was held in high regard by those she knew during her years in Rancho Santa Margarita.

In 1997 Sister Georgina returned to Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana, where she participated in volunteer service to the community. From 2003 until her death, Ministry of Prayer became her full-time ministry.

Throughout her life she was characterized by her smile, her generosity, and her willingness to help everyone. As a religious she was known as a community person. In the years of her illness, she particularly exhibited the virtues of patience and long-suffering.

Wherever she was and whatever she did, it was done wholeheartedly. Her ministry on earth ended on Holy Saturday evening, but I am confident she will continue in heaven to be mindful of the needs of the congregation and all of those who meant so much to her during her lifetime.

Written by Sister Maureen Rooney, CSC

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministry With the Poor Fund, Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556.