Sister Regina Bruen's Obituary
Sister Mary Regina Bruen, age 90 of SSM Franciscan Courts passed away peacefully on Tuesday afternoon February 21, 2012.
Sister Regina was born July 18, 1921 to Michael and Ellen (McManus) Bruen in Keadue, County Roscommon, Ireland. Her parents named her Elizabeth Ann. She had one sister, Mary and two brothers, John and Tom, all of whom preceded her in death. Her father immigrated to the United States and became a citizen. He gradually had his family come to the USA, Elizabeth and her younger brother being the last to come. They settled in New York.
Later Elizabeth (Betty) was checking out religious orders when she met our sisters at St. Francis Health Resort in Denville, New Jersey. She felt inspired by them and entered the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother on June 29, 1944, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was given the name Sister Mary Regina.
After her profession of first vows, Sister Regina attended St. John School of Nursing in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1948 - 1952, receiving her nursing diploma. In 1952 she was missioned to St. Mary's Hospital, Roswell, New Mexico, first as supervisor of surgery and then as Director of Nursing Service. She earned a B.S. in Nursing degree from Marian College, Fond du Lac, WI, did post graduate work in surgery and management and took summer courses at St. Louis University in Hospital Administration. She became a Fellow of the College of Hospital Administrators.
In 1961, she was sent to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to become the administrator of Mercy Medical Center. She is remembered there for her gentle and kind ways, capable leadership and positive relationships with the people.
In 1965 she was appointed Commissary for the SSM community in the United States until 1967 when she was appointed the first Provincial Superior for the new Milwaukee Province. Sister led the province during the period following Vatican Council II which was a time of turmoil in the Church and in the congregation, a time of resistance to change, a time of experimentation. It was a most difficult time to lead a group of religious women.
Region IX (Wisconsin area) of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious chose Sr. Regina as their representative with the religious treasurers. She guided a study by the treasurers as religious communities were beginning to recognize the need for retirement funds.
In 1974, she accepted the position as Coordinator of the Health Apostolate of the Milwaukee Province. During this time she explored the concept of the public juridic person which eventually resulted in the incorporation of our hospitals as entities separate from the religious congregation. Sister accepted many leadership roles in health care, being on each Milwaukee province hospital board and serving as chairperson of several. She held various memberships, some of which were in the American College of Hospital Administrators, the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association. People in the hospitals still remember and treasure her presence and guidance.
From 1983 ? 1985, Sister worked along side Srs. Judy Beck, Lois Bush and Raphael Narcisi to create and shape Ministry Health Care (then SSM Ministry Corporation). She also served on Ministry Health Care's Board of Directors in the developing years. She was totally committed to helping fulfill our mission in the changing business of health care.
Between 1986 and 2001 Sister Regina coordinated projects for the SSM Generalate and its international corporations: International Community Development (ICD) and SSM International Finance, Inc. (SSMIFI). She assisted with many of the legal issues which arose. She gathered all the legal documents of the congregation and organized them so that they could easily be located when leadership needed to refer to them.
In 1991 Sister helped establish the investment committee for SSM International Finance Inc. and served as its first chairperson until her retirement from the finance board at the end of 2001.
In her autobiography Sister Regina wrote "My life has been a very full and interesting one. I enjoyed my involvement with our health care institutions. I had many interesting events in my life, such as speaking at the Catholic Health Assembly in 1973, and at Wisconsin Conference of Catholic Hospitals in 1972. I have also had the privilege of serving on several committees for the Catholic Hospital Association, the Wisconsin Conference of Catholic Hospitals, and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious."
"However, the greatest event in my life was my final vows and my happy life in the community. God has been very good to me, for which I am very grateful."
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday February 25, 2012 at 10:30am at SSM Franciscan Courts, Oshkosh, WI. Father William Kuhr will be the celebrant. Homecoming will be held on Friday February 24, 2012 at 4pm. at SSM Franciscan Courts in Oshkosh. Committal services will be held on Monday February 27, 2012 at 11am at Riverside Cemetery Catholic Section.
Fiss & Bills Funeral Home 865 S. Westhaven Drive Oshkosh, WI 54904 (920) 235-1170 www.fissbillspoklasny.com
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