August 28, 1949 — January 8, 2026
Sister Kathryn Mary Elliott’s story begins with her birth in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Frank Elliott and Regina Tima Elliott on August 28, 1949. Her father, Frank, was born in Corinth, Greece and her mother, who was of Native American heritage in St. Paul, MN. She had one older brother, Charles. Kathryn Mary, as she was named at her baptism on October 4, 1949, was to live most of her religious life with that same name and later was frequently heard asking people to say it accurately, which for her meant in right order, Kathryn followed by Mary, and please, never in reverse.
Sr. Kathryn Mary had a warm relationship with her brother, Charley, and was sad to discover at age three that when he got married that she wasn’t going to be living with him anymore. She was to be delighted later by Charley and his wife, who proceeded to have six children, one of whom was destined to be her godchild.
Sadness came into Kathryn Mary’s young life, when a few months after she received her First Holy Communion, her father was diagnosed with leukemia and died in November of that year 1958, or as Sr. Kathryn phrased it in referring to his death, “The angels came to take him into Paradise.”
The father had certainly played a major role in the family and also in the family business. A part of the legacy of the Elliott family was the proud tradition of Regina’s Fine Candy, known in St. Paul, MN, for its quality, being named after her mother. Her mother lived until October 26 of 1970.
Kathryn Mary felt a strong call to religious life, and so, in August of 1963, after graduating from eighth grade, she entered the aspirancy of the Felician Sisters in Chicago, Illinois. Upon graduating from high school on June 4, 1967, Sr. Kathryn Mary became a postulant in September of that same year and a student at Felician College. Her investiture then followed on August 1, 1968, when she was named Sister Mary Timothy, a name she would bear for 11 years until May of 1979.
Gifted as Sr. Kathryn Mary was, she shared those gifts by teaching in elementary school for six years and at the high school level for 20 years, having earned a bachelor’s degree at the College of St. Catherine. Sr. Kathryn Mary then spent 18 years at St. Joseph Parish.
Sister Kathryn Mary wore many ministerial hats at St. Joseph Parish. She served as a member of the Pastoral Team, as Campus Minister, Administrative Assistant, and filled roles related to Franciscan spirituality. There was to be another very strong ministerial draw for Sr. Kathryn. In November of 1984, she was officially appointed the Associate Spiritual Assistant for the Franciscan Fraternity of St. Clare in the Hickory Hills Poor Clare Monastery. In this role she directed a Fraternity of Secular Franciscans. Her task was primarily spiritual, supporting the 60 or so Secular Franciscans in their relationship with the Lord and assisting them to live the Gospel faithfully. From 1991 through 1995, she served as Campus Minister at St. Joseph High School.
She would eventually receive an M.A. in Franciscan Studies at St. Bonaventure’s in 1993. Because of her Franciscan background, she also served as Region Three Representative for the Franciscan Federation.
In September of 2000, Sister Kathryn attended the three-month Personal Enrichment Process at the Sangre de Christo Center in Santa Fe, NM. Sister then returned to the Provincial House in Chicago on January 8, 2001.
After her return and drawing from her background in Home Economics, she also served as Arts & Crafts Coordinator, being a gifted, creative artist in her own right. Sr. Kathryn was an accomplished seamstress. She used this creativity on many Congregational Projects.
The next twenty years or so, Sister Kathryn became involved in a wide variety of ministries while in the Provincialate. Sister assumed the role of Archivist in Training. She then became the Assistant Archivist to SM Alodia Stoszek, as well as Resource Historian. And by the year 2012 was the Local Archivist and Historian. As an aside, Sister Kathryn Mary not only wrote about history, but she often also “performed “history—whether it was the role of a victim of human trafficking or that of Blessed Angela herself, she made the history, the story, truly come alive.
Speaking of history, it would be remiss if reference weren’t made to Sister Kathryn Mary’s vast memory for detail, and yes, for trivia. One could ask her anything in regard to any subject, and she would not disappoint.
Sister Kathryn Mary accomplished all that preceded here, (and more), despite serious health challenges. Among these challenges was the ever-present brittle diabetes and a body weakened by multiple sclerosis. She had suffered two serious strokes within the last two years. The final challenge for her was a non-operable hematoma inside her kidney. And so, on Thursday, January 8th after Mass at 8:30 am, she died peacefully, after a blessed life of 76 years. May all the lives she’s touched, all the prayers she’s prayed, and all the blessings she’s shared be brought in her name to be lifted up before our God, ever ancient, ever new. Amen.
