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March 31, 2022Article by: Samantha Mejia, Marketing & Public Relations Specialist
Meet Sr. Rosalie Rohrer, IHM, member of the Immaculate Heart Community, Los Angeles. Her incredible service throughout the years has made her a born leader in the Diocese of Fresno. Wherever she needed to help at, she was there. That is her ministry of service.Sr. Rosalie had her vocation when she was inspired by the sisters of the Immaculate Heart Community, Los Angeles who ran the school of Our Lady of Mercy, Merced. She was a student at the time and wanted to do the work that the sisters did. She then went to college in Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles to get her teaching credentials.
During her college years, she was sent out to different Catholic schools to teach. She recalls teaching fifty 1st graders in St. Mary Magdalen in Camarillo, CA and going back and forth from college classes to teaching a classroom on Saturdays.
After getting her teaching credential, she taught 1st graders and became the principal at Our Lady of Mercy, Merced. She then taught second grade and became principal at Saint Therese School, Fresno until closure. Sr. Rosalie retired after teaching sixth graders at Gibson Elementary School, Fresno for 20 years.
“I loved it. I love anything that deals with teaching. I love working with kids, preparing classes and seeing what the students are capable of doing,” she expressed.
Her service journey did not end after retirement, she continued tutoring sixth graders at Saint John's Cathedral while working at the Chancery Office in the Diocese of Fresno doing the directory. She then took up projects such as the Central California Catholic Life (CCCL) newspaper - now magazine - and laughs as she recalls not knowing what she and her work partners were doing at first.
“I enjoyed the challenge (of creating the newspaper), to see if I can do it and reach out to people for their articles who would like a placement in the newspaper,” Sr. Rosalie explained.
Watching the CCCL magazine become bigger and better over the years, she feels excited and proud.
Sr. Rosalie was called into Saint John's Cathedral and discovered that there were a lot of things that needed to be done and started. She took it upon herself to do it and gathered lots of people to help since it could not be done alone. An example of one of the incredible changes that the Cathedral has been through is the liturgy being done in Spanish.
Her work at the Cathedral is all volunteer – which she made clear is all worth it and keeps her going.
“That’s my life, we’ve always been of service, that’s what the community is about,” Sr. Rosalie concludes.
