Sister Emily Devine

SISTER EMILY ELIZABETH DEVINE, RSM

Cedar Rapids

Sister Emily Elizabeth Devine, RSM, 82, died Monday, May 3, 2021, at the Dennis & Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha, Iowa, after a brief illness. A private service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 6. The committal service will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Cedar Rapids at 1:30 p.m. Services for family and the extended community will be celebrated at a later date. Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services is serving the needs. The link for the funeral service via Zoom is available on Sister Emily's tribute wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under obituaries

Sister Emily was born Nov. 16, 1938, in the farming community of Corwith, Iowa. She was the daughter of Bernard and Eleanor (Reding) Devine. Sister Emily grew up with two sisters and four brothers. She had a loving family who shared a love of sports and time together.

Sister Emily attended Woden Public School in Woden, Iowa, and received state honors in basketball. Sister Emily graduated high school in 1958 and entered the Cedar Rapids Regional Community of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas shortly after.

Sister Emily spent the early years of her religious life working in the library, at the switchboard and in housekeeping at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (1962-1973). She continued her ministry at Kalispell General Hospital, Kalispell, Mont., (1973-75) and Methodist Hospital, Minneapolis, Minn., (1975-76). During this time, she completed coursework for her B.A. in human Ssrvices at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and graduated from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minn., in 1979.

She began pastoral work at St. Mary Hospital in Minneapolis (1976-78) and then served at Holy Trinity Parish, South St. Paul, Minn., (1979-82) and St. Cecilia Parish, Ames, Iowa, (1982-84). Feeling a need for more counseling education, Sister Emily subsequently completed a one-year Clinical Pastoral Education program in Allentown, Pa., (1984-1985). She continued her pastoral work at Mercy Hospital, Iowa City, (1986-94) and became the director of Pastoral Services at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott, Kan., (1994-97) and then went on to serve as chaplain at Mercy Medical Center, Mason City, Iowa, (1997-2009). She retired in 2009 and continued to be a volunteer minister.

Sister Emily was always passionate about peace and justice issues. Some of her accomplishments included assisting opening a men and women's homeless shelter in Mason City, Iowa, initiating the Mercy Associate Program in Mason City, Iowa, (which was available for 15 years), and volunteering her time to organizations related to immigration and anti-trafficking. Sister Emily was an active board member of Fresh Start Jail Ministries at the time of her death. In keeping with Sister Emily's loving and generous spirit, it was her decision to donate life so others may live it through the Iowa Donor Network. Sister Emily was a vowed member of the Sisters of Mercy for 62 years. She was grateful to the Sisters of Mercy and the many friends she made over her years of service.

In addition to the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Emily is survived by siblings, Judy Devine, Eagan, Minn., and Don Devine, Lake City, Iowa; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Bernard and Eleanor; and siblings, Dale, Richard, Gerald and Joan.

Memorials may be sent to the Sisters of Mercy, 1125 Prairie Dr. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402.