Sr. Elizabeth Mary Strub, SHCJ

Elizabeth Mary Strub, SHCJ

(Mother Elizabeth Mary)

March 30, 1930 – July 25, 2025

Society Leader, Educator, Pastoral Minister, Spiritual Director

Rosemont, Pennsylvania – Elizabeth Mary Strub, SHCJ, a Sister of the Holy Child Jesus for 71 years, died peacefully on Friday, July 25, 2025, at the age of 95.

Sister Elizabeth’s legendary contributions to the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and the Church were marked by intelligence, leadership, and humility. She acknowledged taking many leaps of faith, trusting in God throughout her diverse ministries. Reflecting on her journey, she wrote, “I’ve been a high school teacher, a head of school, a director of novices, a permanent student, an SHCJ leader, a missionary, a pastoral worker, a giver of retreats, a spiritual director, and a not-very-good cook.” She added, “The thread sewing all this together: call and answer. It’s been a lifelong adventure with great Sisters and a faithful God. St. Paul once said, ‘Let us go forward on the road that has brought us to where we are.’ That’s what I hope to do.” Indeed, Sister Elizabeth remained steadfast in her trust in God, the Society’s mission, love of Cornelia, and her hope for an even better future.

Sister Elizabeth, a proud Californian, delighted in being a part of the Holy Child community most of her life. She attended Holy Child schools in Pasadena, California – Mayfield Junior School of the Holy Child Jesus and Mayfield Senior School of the Holy Child Jesus – for the first nine years of her education. In 1951, she moved to the East Coast and entered the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, making her first and final vows in 1954 and 1959, respectively.

Sister Elizabeth served at Mayfield Junior School (1954-55) and Mayfield Senior School (1955- 65). In the following years, she studied at the Pontifical Institute Regina Mundi in Rome, Italy, taught at Rosemont College, and pursued further studies at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri.

In 1970, Sister Elizabeth began a 16-year ministry in Society Leadership in Rome, Italy, first as a team member and then as Society Leader for two terms totaling 12 years. She navigated numerous challenges, including combining the Society’s smaller U.S. provinces into one American Province in 1976; continuing the Society’s implementation of the vision of the Elizabeth Mary Strub, SHCJ, was the first woman to write an Informatio, a biographical synopsis of Cornelia Connelly’s life, which served as an valuable guide for the Sacred Congregation of the Causes of Saints on deciding to declare Cornelia “Venerable.” Church’s Second Vatican Council; and embracing the bishops’ call to work for greater justice in the world.

After her second term as Society Leader, Sister Elizabeth stayed in Rome to work on the beatification of the Society’s foundress, Cornelia Connelly. She wrote a biographical synopsis, the Informatio, for review by the Sacred Congregation of the Causes of Saints.

Sister Elizabeth’s work on the Informatio holds historical significance in the Church. As noted by Kenneth Woodward in his book Making Saints, he wrote, "Strub, it turned out, is a pioneer: the first woman to prepare a document for the congregation's judgement.”

Woodward also noted Sister Elizabeth’s different approach to writing the Informatio. She explained to Woodward, “I want to present the evidence for holiness according to her (Cornelia’s) own inner logic and experience of grace." In 1992, Pope John Paul II declared Cornelia “Venerable.”

In 1989, Sister Elizabeth moved to the Holy Child community in Chile, serving there for nearly three decades. In 1995, she helped establish Centro Cornelia Connelly in Santiago to offer spiritual ministry. At the Centro, she served as a spiritual director, worked with Holy Child Associates, and contributed to religious formation in the Archdiocese of Santiago.

In March 2018, Sister Elizabeth returned to the United States and joined a retirement community with other Holy Child Sisters near Rosemont, Pennsylvania. She remained engaged and active in SHCJ meetings and committees and continued her strong and loving connections with family, Holy Child Associates, and friends. Her friendship and contributions were valued and sought out to the end. She will be deeply missed.

Sister Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Arts from Scripps College in Claremont, California, in 1951, a Master of Arts in English from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, in 1964, and a Master of Theological Studies at Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1989.

Sister Elizabeth joins her parents, Charles H. and Vera (Wood), and brothers, Peter M. and Robert P., and sisters, Virginia (Kelly) and Mary (Crowe), in eternal rest. She is survived by many loving nieces and nephews and great- and grand- nieces and nephews.

Friends and family are invited to Sister Elizabeth’s Funeral Mass on Monday, August 18, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., at Holy Child Chapel, 1341 Montgomery Avenue, Rosemont, Pennsylvania 19010.

If you are unable to join the funeral Mass in person but would like to attend virtually, please email holychildsisters@gmail.com. A link with be sent to you within 24 hours of the Mass.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Society of the Holy Child Jesus – American Province, 1341 Montgomery Avenue, Rosemont, Pennsylvania 19041, or made online at https://www.shcj.org/american/donate.