October 11, 2024
Sister Justina Schaefer, ASC, of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, died peacefully at Benedictine Living Community on Thursday, October 10, 2024. She was 92 years old and was professed for 73 years.
One of five children in the family of William and Hilda (Metze) Schaefer, she was born in Hecker, IL, on June 11, 1932. She made her first profession on July 1, 1951, and final vows on July 1, 1956, at the Ruma Convent Chapel in Ruma, IL.
Sister Justina received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology in 1968 and her master’s in education in 1971, both from St. Louis University. She was certified as a Reading Specialist by the University of Missouri, St. Louis, in 1975, and in School Guidance by Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, IL, in 1992. She held teaching certificates in the states of Missouri and Iowa; she had both teaching and administrative certificates in Illinois.
Sister Justina was an educator for almost 60 years. She taught elementary students in Illinois at St. Elizabeth in East St. Louis, St. Mary in Taylorville, St. Albert the Great in Fairview Heights, St. Bruno in Pinckneyville, St. John in Piopolis, St. Bernard in Albers, Sts. Peter and Paul in Waterloo, where she also served as principal, Holy Family in Cahokia and St. Rose in St. Rose. In Missouri, she taught at St. Joseph in Zell and served as principal at St. Jerome in St. Louis.
She followed her teaching ministry in the classroom with nearly 20 years as Director of Religious Education, coupled with parish ministry, in St. Rose, IL.
During her early years of teaching, she was transferred several times. Her comment regarding her many moves was that it exposed her to “all levels of teaching as well as to many different school systems (large and small, private and public, rural and city). I’ll never regret the experience I reaped through it all.”
Sister Justina was a “lifelong learner.” In addition to her degrees and certificates, she attended numerous classes during her summers; for example, at Webster University in St. Louis, St. Joseph College in West Hartford, CT, Fontbonne College in St. Louis and Kaskaskia College in Centralia, IL.
During her three years as principal at St. Jerome School in St. Louis, the Superintendent of the area Public School District not only invited her to serve on District Educational Committees, but also convinced her to join his faculty for their six-week Summer School program for students who experienced learning difficulties, especially in Reading.
Sister Justina’s creativity shone in her classroom. She initiated several time-saving tactics which developed responsibility in her young students. She used the idea of having a “mailbox” for each student’s graded papers; she created packets for reinforcement of skills taught, and lessons learned in her classroom; she designed “stations” for individual enrichment, helping each student with a particular concept that needed more practice. She planned field trips, even for first graders and enlisted help from parents to accompany her students. Much of her spare time was spent in work and study which added to her excellence as a teacher.
One of Sister Justina’s favorite prayers was Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” For the past several years, Sister Justina had been Living Mission in Later Life at Benedictine Living Community on the grounds of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows near Belleville, IL.
She is survived by her sister, Rose Marie Schilling, three generations of nieces and nephews, and her ASC community. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Walter, her sisters Helen (John) Parker, Rita (Stanley) Neff, and her niece Kate Mulnik.
A wake will be held on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, at Benedictine Living Community Chapel. Visitation begins at noon, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 2:00 p.m. The funeral procession to the Ruma Convent Cemetery for burial will begin immediately after Mass.
Adorers of the Blood of Christ
United States Region