Sister Joan Marie Sutherland

Sister Joan Marie Sutherland, age 68 of Holy Spirit Hermitage, Old Fields, WV, passed away Thursday, February 24, 2005 at her residence. Born October 7, 1936 in Boston, MA, she was the daughter of the late Alfred E. & Grace E. (Cavanagh) Sutherland. A brother and a sister preceded her in death. Surviving is a brother, George Sutherland of Scituate, MA; five nephews and nieces; eleven great nephews and nieces. A memorial mass will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday March 5, 2005 at the Epiphany Catholic Church near Moorefield, WV, with Father Richard Hite officiating. At Sister Joans request she donated her body to the Human Gift Registry of WVU and her ashes, when returned, will be interred in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Wheeling, WV. Sister Joan was a hermit and a consecrated virgin of Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. She came to diocese in 1969 with permission and blessing of Bishop Joseph H. Hodges and made perpetual vows as a diocesan hermit and received consecration to a life of virginity on April 29, 1975. Before being consecrated, Bishop Hodge assigned her to Tucker County for four years. On June 19, 1973 she was missioned to the Buchanan area for two years. After consecration she lived in the Mill Creek area of Randolph County for four years. Bishop Hodges then assigned her to the Holy Spirit Hermitage in Old Fields in 1979, after the diocese incorporated the eastern part of West Virginia, which was formerly under the jurisdiction of the Richmond, VA Diocese. It was at the Holy Spirit Hermitage that she lived a life of prayer in silence and solitude. Memorials may be directed to the charity of choice.