Laura Maureen MARTIN

7 JUL 1930 - 30 JAN 2023

• BIRTH: 7 JUL 1930, National, Carbon County, Utah
• DEATH: 30 JAN 2023, St Marys Convent, Notre Dame, IN

INDEX

[N34343] Sister Gladys Marie, CSC
Laura Maureen Martin
July 7, 1930 - January 30, 2023

Entered the Sisters of the Holy Cross from Price, Utah, on September 7, 1954, Initial Profession of Vows on August 15, 1957. Sister Gladys Marie (Martin) once said, “If you want something badly enough, you can find ways of doing it.” Such zeal motivated Sister throughout her 92 years of life. Described as being full of vim and vigor, Sister Gladys Marie was a highly effective leader who instinctively knew how to bring ideas to fruition. As a consecrated Sister of the Holy Cross for 65 years, she was a fervent advocate and servant. She understood healthcare and helped implement the Congregation’s healthcare system across the United States and co-founded life-changing services in Southern Maryland. Her sharp wit, quick smile, and hearty laugh were appealing attributes in community life and ministry. Laura Maureen Martin was born on July 7, 1930, to Edward Martin and Gladys (Bowcutt) Martin, in the town of National, Utah. Named after the National Coal Company, the small town was developed to house coal miners, like Laura’s father, and their families. After mining operations ceased in 1938, Laura, her parents, and four older siblings moved less than 15 miles away to Price, Utah. Her interest in religious life first stirred in elementary school when she was taught by the Daughters of Charity, at Notre Dame School, Price. Inspired by a health course she took while attending Carbon High School, Price, she volunteered as a nurse’s aide at a local hospital. Laura was introduced to the Sisters of the Holy Cross when she enrolled at Holy Cross Hospital School of Nursing in Salt Lake City, Utah, following her high school graduation in 1948. Director of the school, Sister M. Raphael (McGrath), CSC, described Laura as a student nurse “full of vim and vigor.” Sister Raphael, who died in 1996, was a model of innovation. She helped introduce the hospice movement in the United States. Laura Martin became a certified registered nurse in 1953, working for a year at Price Hospital before entering the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana, on September 7, 1954. Upon reception of the holy habit, she became Sister Gladys Marie, in honor of her mother. Sister Gladys Marie dedicated 30 years to healthcare ministry, which included serving as a nurse, assistant administrator, and chief executive officer (CEO). Sister held a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, and a master’s degree in hospital administration from Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, conferred in 1957 and 1968 respectively. Throughout Sister Gladys Marie’s years in hospital administration, she brought positive change to several Holy Cross-sponsored hospitals. St. Agnes Hospital, Fresno, California, became a leader in healthcare in the San Joaquin Valley under her direction as CEO for 11 years. Throughout her three-year term as CEO of Mount Carmel East Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, she helped transform and expand the healthcare system to include services such as a family practice center, medical pharmacy, and nursing school. From 1970 to 1972, outside of her ministry in hospital administration at St. Mary’s Hospital, Cairo, Illinois, she regularly volunteered to help local people in need, such as migrants. Those who worked with Sister Gladys Marie admired her for her intuition, honesty, and ability to make hard decisions with compassion. After enacting change within hospital administration, Sister Gladys Marie felt a need to help people directly. She served as superior of the Congregation’s United States Eastern Region for two years before deciding to fulfill this desire. Along with Sister M. Michaeleen (Frieders), CSC, they traveled to Southern Maryland in 1989 to begin a new ministry they named Mary’s Song--for the Blessed Mother’s hymn of praise, the Magnificat. Together, they established Mary’s Song Center, a soup kitchen that offered services such as job counseling, and Health Partners, a pro-bono clinic that provided healthcare for those who were insurance poor. The two sisters changed many lives throughout their 13 years in Southern Maryland, and their hard work continues to impact those communities today. The book, Mary's Song, by Kathleen M. Brunton, gives a full account of this ministry undertaken in the sisters’ “retirement years.” In 2003, Sister Gladys Marie moved to the motherhouse at Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana. There she moved naturally to spirituality, facilitating vocation and discernment retreats at Mary’s Solitude for three years. From 2007 to 2014, she had been volunteering her time to the Latino community of South Bend, Indiana, through St. Adalbert’s Parish. Collaborating with La Casa de Amistad, South Bend, Sisters Gladys Marie and Michaeleen assisted Hispanic immigrants by helping to obtain clothing, housing, healthcare, and other needs. In 2014 Sister Gladys Marie transitioned to a ministry of prayer and presence at Saint Mary’s Convent, where she died on the evening of January 30, 2023. Poor health made it difficult for her to overcome a recent fall and its complications. Once called the gourmet chef of soup kitchens, Sister Gladys Marie knew how to found and re-envision institutional ministries, plan programs, and work with an underserved community to realize its full potential. Sister Gladys Marie was grateful for every opportunity to serve. She took special satisfaction in developing Mary’s Song in Southern Maryland, with Sister Michaeleen, both friend and collaborator. Sister’s ministry, and the mission of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, continues to rely on its benefactors and God’s providence. Sister Gladys Marie requested a Green Burial. The Gathering to receive the body with Final Commendation will be Wednesday, February 1, 2023, in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto. A memorial Mass for Sister will be held at a later date. Please see the Sisters of the Holy Cross website for further details. Kaniewski Funeral Homes is assisting.

-Written by Madisen Toth, archivist
Sisters of the Holy Cross Archives and Records