Big Island-born Sister M. Ruth Faisca, a Sister of the Holy Family who worked in catechetical, child care and parish ministry in California, Hawaii and Nevada, died peacefully in Fremont, Calif., on Sept. 17. She was 82 and a religious sister for 64 years.
Sister Ruth was born on May 13, 1933, in Kohala. She entered the Sisters of the Holy Family on July 2, 1951.
On her 50th anniversary of religious life she reflected on her travels from a plantation town to the religious life.
“The most significant moment that began my quest on this journey from a small sugar plantation town to the exciting city of San Francisco was an inner voice that kept questioning, ‘Why not become a sister?’” she said.
“As I have grown into the answer to this question and its challenges, an energetic force continues to propel me to a deeper relationship with our God and to my community and its charism to families.”
Sister Ruth served most of her religious life in parishes in Los Angeles, Burlingame, Palo Alto, Lodi, Pleasant Hill, Reno, Las Vegas, Honokaa, Honolulu and Kailua. In Las Vegas she was also a family advocate, and a mentor to seminarians at St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif.
She served her congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family as novice director, vocations director and congregational councillor.
In 2008 Sister Ruth was appointed Director of Life Development and Motherhouse Director for the Sisters in Fremont, a position she held until illness caused her to cut back her hours of work. Sister Ruth was also in demand as a mentor and spiritual companion in the Fremont area while serving in Sisters of the Holy Family community ministry.
Her funeral Mass was celebrated Sept. 29 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Fremont. Interment was at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma. Contributions may be sent to the Sisters of the Holy Family, P.O. Box 3248, Fremont, CA 94539.
