June 4, 1932 — May 29, 2025
Sister Mary Alfonsa, Anna Van Overberghe of South Bend, Indiana, age 92, religious 73 years, entered eternal life on May 29, 2025, in Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent, Livonia, Michigan.
South Bend, Indiana was forever changed when Joseph Van Overberghe and his wife, Angela (Matthys) purchased 80 acres of farmland around Gorden Road on the outskirts of the city.
Anna, the future SM Alfonsa, was born June 4, 1932, and christened at Sacred Heart Church, a Belgian settlement in South Bend. Between kindergarten at Benjamin Harrison, and Crumstown Grade School, and before Anna graduated from South Bend Catholic High, the tenth child arrived: Anna, first in line, was followed by Lucille McMahon+, Rene+, Gerard+, Alfons+, Richard, Hilary (Larry)+, Dolores Pajakowski+, Russell, and Lois Krol. The close-knit family and the home resounded with Flemish and English as children grew in appreciation of their rich Belgian heritage.
Joseph worked at the Studebaker Factory and after work would come home and then build houses. There was never a break from farming as the family cared for cows, pigs, chickens, and goats, and harvested acres of corn, tomatoes and other vegetables. The children helped with seeding, planting, weeding, bailing hay, and driving the tractor.
An uncle who lived adjacent to their land grew peppermint, and the children would help cut it down, load it onto a truck and “tractor” it down to the distillery for processing. The Shady Lane Farm continues today operated by a third generation of the Matthys family. One of the products is peppermint essential oil shipped to companies that produce toothpaste, candy, and lotions such as Colgate and Mars Wrigley.
Vacations brought the family to Lake Michigan where the children enjoyed walking up and down the sand dunes. Sunday movies were a usual treat and baseball, and basketball were treasured sports. There was an outdoor theatre nearby and the children would slip through the fence, turn up the volume of the last row of speakers, and sit on the adjacent hill to watch the movies.
As the boys got older, cows and some other animals were sold off and the barn was remodeled for a Business Office. This was the beginning of the “The Van-Overberghe Builders” with father, sons and brother-in-law. A special structure familiar to all was the Holy Family Church in South Bend, IN. Renovation and design of the sisters’ convent in Holly, MI. was also one of the Van Overberghe projects.
Because the Belgian Church was located a distance from the farm, the Van Overberghe family joined the newly created parish closer to home – Holy Family Church. It was here that the Felician Sisters not only taught catechism but started a choir, of which Anna was a member.
Since there was no school or convent yet in the parish, Anna would often pick up the sisters and drive them home after morning Mass.
Trips to the Monastery in Kentucky to visit an uncle, Alfons Berg, who was a Trappist Monk, no doubt influenced Anna who began to feel the call of God. A year after senior graduation she made plans to join the Felician Sisters in Livonia, Michigan. At Investiture, she received the name of Sister Mary Alfonsa. She professed First Vows in 1953 and made Final Profession in 1959.
Sister Alfonsa showed remarkable abilities in leadership and in her subject field – art. Graduating from Madonna University with a bachelor’s degree, she continued studies at Catholic University of America and completed a master’s program in Fine Arts. The thesis project for completion of the degree was a monstrance (in the Catholic Church, a vessel designed to show the presence of Christ in the Eucharist during adoration or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament). Then, in 1998, South Bend and the University of Notre Dame once again became familiar territory as Sister completed a second master’s degree, this time in administration.
With a genuine concern for students, as well as openness to new educational trends, Sister Alfonsa was a teacher and principal for 28 years: Our Lady of Help of Christians, Corpus Christi, St. Valentine and St. Hilary – in Detroit; Our Lady of Refuge, Orchard Lake; St. Michael, Livonia; St. Francis of Assisi, Flint; St. Hyacinth, Bay City; St. John Vianney, Wyoming; and St. Mary’s, Otis, Indiana. Classrooms and principal offices of all sizes hinted of her artistic creativity, including a little schoolhouse in Otis, Indiana with a combination class of grades 1-4.
Completing her term as principal of St. Valentine School in Detroit (1970-1976) the parishioners gifted Sister Alfonsa with a ticket to Rome. Her sister, Lou, was a traveling companion to view the Eternal City. Sister Alfonsa also had the privilege of representing the Livonia Province at the Beatification Ceremony of Blessed Honorat Kozminski at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome in 1988.
Sister Alfonsa was assigned to the Provincial House in Livonia, MI in 1982 and elected to the Provincial Council. During the following two terms, Sister served as Director of Education then as Director of Ministry and was the chairperson of two committees: Apostolic Service as well as Peace and Justice.
Congregational ministries and activities that engaged Sister Alfonsa over the years included teacher, principal, Local Minister, delegate to six Provincial Chapters, Director of Guardian Angel Summer Camp, Business Manager at Ladywood High School, Parish and School Councils, Coordinator of Felician Educational Leadership Association (FELA) and Government Committees. Sister was also a Board Member at most of the Felician sponsored institutions on the Livonia campus. Most recently Sister served on the planning committee for the central convent renovation projects.
Completing a twelve-year term on the Livonia Provincial Council, in 1994 Sister was appointed assistant to the Provincial Treasurer. The following year she was assigned as the Financial Business Manager at Ladywood Highschool on the Livonia campus. In 1996, Sister Alfonsa was elected to Livonia’s Provincial Council as Treasurer, a position she held until 2009 when the American provinces and Canada united to become Our Lady of Hope Province. For the next 17 years, Sister Alfonsa worked diligently as the Michigan liaison to the Provincial Treasurer.
In addition to all her responsibilities, Sister was able to use her artistic talents in a variety of ways. A love for birds was evident when bird feeders appeared whenever sister moved from convent to convent. Sister Alfonsa could identify all the occupants who perched upon the branches and ledges. She often worked as a “handyman” by fixing or repainting statues, or other items. In fact, she was known for carrying a box of tools in the trunk of her car. Sewing by hand or machine was also one of her gifts: drapes for the altar on Holy Thursday, cover panels for the main altar, repair of altar cloths were just a few items that sister accomplished in her “spare” time.
After dealing with a variety of medical conditions for many years, Sister’s health began to decline to the point where she was eventually placed on Hospice Care through Angela Hospice. On Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 7:38 p.m., in the presence of sisters, staff and family, Sister Mary Alfonsa journeyed to the Lord whom she so faithfully served her entire life.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel, Livonia, Michigan. Very Rev. Canon Walter J. Ptak was the main celebrant with Rev. Gary Michalik and Rev. Joseph Romano concelebrating. Other priests from the Senior Clergy Village, Livonia, were also in attendance. Burial was in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield, Michigan.
