Jane Burns

Sister Jane Burns, MMS, the daughter of the late Henry and Theresa Roach Burns of New York, died May 16, 2016. She was 93. Born in New York City and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, Sister Jane graduated from St. Aloysius High School in Jersey City, then worked at Macy's and General Electric. She graduated Cum Laude in 1946 with a Bachelor's Degree in English from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia and taught English there for one year before entering the Medical Mission Sisters in 1947. Sister Jane (formerly Sister M. Gerard) made her first Vows in 1950 and her Final Profession in 1955. In her 66 years as a Medical Mission Sister, Sister Jane taught in her Community's Novitiates in Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; South Shields, England, and Lipa City, the Philippines. She received a Master's Degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master's Degree in Liturgy from Notre Dame University. Sister became deeply involved in liturgy planning for her Community. During a three-year mission in Dacca, then East Pakistan, she converted the liturgy from Latin to Bengali, so the people could worship in their own language. She also spent nine years tea...[more]

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ng in India, Pakistan, Africa, Latin America, Europe and the United States. In 1986, Sister Jane began the Peace Hermitages Project on the grounds of the Medical Mission Sisters' North American Headquarters in Fox Chase, Philadelphia, and served as its Director until 2000. Its small cottages offer solitude and a quiet place for prayer, reflection or writing for people of any or no particular faith base. For almost 20 years, Sister offered hospitality to hundreds of persons, both as Director, then as Co-Director of the Peace Hermitages, and was available to anyone requesting a spiritual companion. Until her death, Sister Jane was a valued spiritual and liturgical resource for Medical Mission Sisters and many others. She also wrote widely of her Community's Foundress, Anna Dengel, MD, with whom she shared a special friendship. In addition to her parents, Sister Jane was predeceased by her only sibling, Father Harry Burns, S.J. Her Funeral Mass is Wednesday, May 25, at 10 a.m. at the Medical Mission Sisters' Chapel, 8400 Pine Road, Philadelphia, PA 19111. Gifts in Sister's memory are appreciated and can be sent to the Sisters' address.