Mary Cecilia. Fisher was born at Defiance, OH, on June 7, 1913, to Arthur C. and Theresa V. Fisher. Later her family moved to Antwerp where she received her elementary education under the Tiffin Sisters of St. Francis who she claimed were “wonderful teachers.” When she was older, her family moved back to Defiance so that she and her sister could attend St. John’s Catholic High School there. Though the Sisters of St. Agnes taught at St. John’s, her heart was with the Tiffin Franciscans, and so it was not a hard decision for her to choose to become a Sister of St. Francis.
On June 27, 1929, on reception of the habit of the Sisters of St. Francis, she became Sister Mary Paschal. (She returned to her baptismal name in July, 1975, however) She made her vows on August 20, 1931. In 1931 and ‘32, she attended Teachers’ College in Toledo. She received her bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Francis, Joliet, IL, in 1946.
For 47 years, Sister Cecilia taught in elementary schools at Landeck; Ft. Jennings; Frenchtown; New Washington; Miller City; Toledo, St. Anthony Orphanage where she was also principal; Reed; Bryan; Custar; Toledo, St. Teresa’s; Carey; Bucyrus; Monrovia, CA; and Indio, CA. In the latter place, she also did some parish ministry such as helping with convert classes, visiting and taking Communion to the sick and shut-ins and helping distribute food to the poor.
She also kept house for a short time for the Sisters at Blakeslee and at various times served as a critic teacher, CCD coordinator, Parish Minister, and teacher’s aide. In her later years she helped in the dietary department and in the sewing room at the Motherhouse. She was coordinator of the Media Center at the Motherhouse from 1986 until 1993. This was a ministry she thoroughly enjoyed. Since 1995 she had been a minister of prayer for the community.
For thirteen summers, Sister was in charge of the Snack Shak and also served as head counselor at Camp Lady of the Lake, the summertime home for the children from St. Anthony Villa. Of these experiences, she said, “The outdoor life and contact with the children and other camp counselors contributed to my ‘young’ mind and spirit.”
Sr. Cecilia survived the tornado that hit Landeck in 1948 when she taught there, so in 1976 while teaching in California when she was told that school would be dismissed a week early for Christmas vacation because an earthquake was rumored, her reaction was, “Well, I said to myself, if you went through a tornado, you might as well go through an earthquake. So I just told Jesus He’d have to take care of me as He has done in the past.”
Sister Cecilia had one main hobby and that was reading. Until her eyesight failed considerably, she was a regular visitor to the convent library.
At one time when Sister Cecilia was asked what wisdom she would like to share with others, she said, “Live your life; love your work.” And we might add, she did both and she also loved her family and was always overjoyed when her sisters and brother visited.
Sister Cecilia died at St. Francis Home on Sunday evening, September 23, 2007. Her parents and sister, Coletta, preceded her in death. She is survived by three sisters, Trudy Lenhart of Defiance, OH, Penny Crutch of Lapeer, MI., and Madonna Blair, of Yucca Valley, California, and one brother, Leo and his wife Edie of Tucson, Arizona.
Written by Sister Jean Linder
