Aston, PA—Sister Hildegarde Grogan, (87) died in Assisi House on January 20, 2021. She had been a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 64 years. Sister Hildegarde was born Mary Magdalen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she was a member of St. Raymond Parish and a graduate of the Little Flower Catholic High School. She entered the congregation in 1954 and professed her first vows in 1957.  She earned her R.N. from St. Joseph Hospital in Baltimore, her BSN from Duquesne University, and her MSN in Medical/Surgical Nursing from the Catholic University of America. She ministered primarily in health care and education.

Sister Hildegarde ministered for 34 years in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  She served for seven years as a nurse and later as vice president of patient services at St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne. A majority of her time in the diocese, 24 years, was spent at Neumann University in Aston where she served as a professor, as coordinator of the Gerontology Department of Continuing Professional Studies, and as the director of the Lifelong Learning Center. Sister Hildegarde moved to Assisi House in 2017 and served in prayer and hospitality ministry until her death.

During Sister Hildegarde’s 15 years in the Diocese of Wilmington, she served as a nurse at St. Francis Hospital and as a volunteer at Delaware Hospice. During her five years in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, she taught at Immaculate Conception School in Towson and served as a nurse at St. Joseph Hospital in Baltimore. Additional ministry included four years in the Harrisburg diocese at St. Joseph Hospital in Lancaster and as a caregiver in Lebanon.

All services will be held in Assisi House on Tuesday, January 26 and will be private. Burial will be in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery in Aston. Sister Hildegarde is survived by her nieces, nephews, and by her Franciscan family. Donations in her name can be made to the Sisters of St. Francis Foundation, 609 S. Convent Road, Aston, PA 19014.

To read a more personal memorial write-up on Sister Hildegarde, click here.