August 3, 1927 – January 18, 2025
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sister Mary Charity Dalton who passed away on January 18, 2025 at Nazareth Living Center in St. Louis. She was 97 years of age.
Sister Mary Charity, baptized Rosemary, was a lifelong resident St. Louis. She was born on August 3, 1927 to parents Paul Anthony and Mary Agnes (Dalton) Schmuck. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1949 and was received into the novitiate in 1950. She earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and theatre from Webster College (now University) in 1949, and a master’s degree in speech and theatre from St. Louis University in 1958.
In the 1950s, Sister Mary Charity taught at St. Roch School and St. Joseph’s Academy. For 29 years of her career, she served at Fontbonne University as a faculty member and, later, as an admissions counselor.
In the 1990s, she was an associate producer for the Sacred Heart Radio program in St. Louis. She also served as program coordinator for the Ronald McDonald House and for the Asthma & Allergy Foundation in Olivette.
Sister Mary Charity retired in 2001 and served as a volunteer at St. Joseph’s Academy and Jesuit Hall. She was also a volunteer English tutor through the Immigrant & Refugee Women’s Program.
Since 2014, Sister Mary Charity resided at Nazareth Living Center carrying out her mission of prayer and presence.
The Memorial Mass will be held on Wednesday, February 5, at 10:30 a.m. at the Nazareth Living Center Chapel, 2 Nazareth Lane, St. Louis, MO 63129. Watch the Funeral Mass via livestream at https://video.ibm.com/channel/csjsl-general
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province, 6400 Minnesota Ave., St. Louis, MO 63111-2899 or donate online.
I first met S.Mary Charity when she began her first assignment as a CSJ teaching at St. Roch’s (she told me many years later that she was positively petrified of teaching elementary school students!). Of course she was beloved by all there. I followed her to St. Joe’s and took as many classes as I could from her before she was transferred to Fontbonne. Of course I followed her there , also, and she became my college advisor. As a teacher she made the theater alive for us; as an advisor she was consistently supportive, offering gentle guidance.
While I adored all my educational ventures with S. Mary Charity, the best of all was after graduation when she developed into a beloved friend. Oh the stories she told and the beautiful life lessons she provided! To demonstrate SMC’s extreme kindness and encouragement – when I went off to graduate school I was having a difficult time. She frequently wrote words of encouragement and asked “Do they know yet how wonderful you are?” . Talk about supportive!
Whenever I came to St. Louis either she would pick me up or later I would go get her and we’d whisk off to some new trendy bistro (she introduced me to several great ones!). My friends from Oklahoma always asked to go to St. Louis with me when I went so they, too, could spend time with SMC. Fellow St. Joe and Fontbonne grads would often join us on our outings. The last time I visited home (Nov 2023) a friend and I went to pick up S. Mary Charity and as we were walking out of Nazareth, another resident asked if we were headed off for Mass. I replied “No – we’re going to a new wine bar in Kirkwood!”. S. Mary Charity burst out laughing and didn’t stop until we entered the bistro.
Although I know my dear friend is thrilled to be in heaven, I miss her just horribly. She has been a constant presence in my life for 70 years. What a beautiful life you modeled for us Sister Mary Charity – thank you, thank you.