SISTER KATHLEEN HOLLAND

Liturgy of Christian burial for the late Sister Kathleen Holland, 92, a Sister of St. Martha of Antigonish, was held August 8 in St. Martha Chapel, Parkland Antigonish, with Father John Barry officiating.

Sister Holland died August 5, 2019, at Mary’s Court, in the 68th year of her religious life.

Cross bearer at the funeral Mass was Sister Ivy Maccan. Pall carrier was Anne Marie Brawn. Readers were Allan Pettipas, Kathleen Holland and Sister Rachel MacNeil. Debbie Pettipas and Ashley Pettipas presented the offertory gifts. Music was provided by pianist Sheila Redden, cantor and leader of song Sister Catherine Ann MacGillivray, instrumentalists Sister Florence Kennedy and Sister Mary Gouthro.

Pallbearers were Keith Brawn, Tony Cooper, Paul Holland, Gordon Gillis, Greg Gillis and Billie McVicar.

Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, she was one of 12 children of the late Leo and Margaret (Wisted) Holland. She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha on August 15, 1949, pronounced her first vows on August 15, 1951 and her perpetual profession of vows on August 15, 1954. After her profession of vows, Sister Kathleen served as assistant director of novices at the Motherhouse, Bethany, for 11 years. Sister Kathleen spent most of her years ministering in various institutions operated by the congregation and she was community leader in several convents where she lived. In Nova Scotia, she served at the Motherhouse; St. Martha’s Convent on the campus of St. Francis Xavier University; Holy Heart Seminary in Halifax; Little Flower Institute in Sydney; Villa Madonna in Bras d’Or. Outside of Nova Scotia she served at St. Augustine’s Seminary, Scarborough, Ontario, and Martha Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta. She had a hearty laugh that demonstrated her love of a good joke.  She had a love and deep care for young people, as well as her Martha sisters who suffered long illnesses. She could knit anything, anywhere, at any time, and usually from a pattern she made up as she went.  She had to let go of this much-loved ministry due to her declining health, but not before she knit a number of pairs of special mittens with the St. Francis Xavier University ‘X’ knit into them. Sister Kathleen was the last member of her immediate family.

She is survived by many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by four sisters, Claire Taylor, Margaret Shannon, Helen Morris, Constance Cooper; seven brothers, Clifford, Francis, Harold, Raymond, Ronald, Vincent, Leo.