Sister Marie Michelle Emmerich (73) of St. Louis

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Published on November 3 2022 6:35 am

Sister Marie Michelle (Phyllis) Emmerich, SSND, 73, of St. Louis, Mo., a native of Effingham, IL, passed away peacefully at SSM DePaul Hospital, Bridgeton, Mo. Monday, October 31, 2022 with School Sisters of Notre Dame and family members praying for her and present as she entered eternal life.

A Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 5 in Theresa Center Chapel on Ripa in St. Louis. Burial will follow at the School Sisters of Notre Dame Cemetery in Lemay. Gathering will begin at 9:30 a.m. sharing of memories at 10:15 and the liturgy at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Vincent De Paul Council of East St. Louis of the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois, P.O. Box 3415, East St. Louis, IL 62203, where Sister Michelle provided a ministry of writing and requesting grants to support the mission of St. Vincent De Paul.

Sister Marie Michelle is a native of Effingham, IL in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. She made her first profession of vows in 1969 in St. Louis. Her earliest ministry years were devoted to teaching at Notre Dame High School in Quincy, IL, followed by a year of teaching at Notre Dame High School in St. Louis. From 1978 through 1987, Sister Michelle served as director of communications at Maria Center at Santa Maria in Ripa in St. Louis. She facilitated five international and cross cultural SSND meetings in Rome, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Guam and Japan. Following several years in pastoral administration for the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois, as director of pastoral planning and vice chancellor, she served as staff of SSND leadership for the North American Major Area from 1994 to 1997. She then accepted the position as principal at Notre Dame High School in St. Louis, which she held through 2016. She was serving as grant writer for St. Vincent De Paul Council in East St. Louis.

Sister Marie Michelle held a bachelor's degree in English from Notre Dame College in St. Louis, a Master's degree in communcation arts from Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana, followed by a doctoral degree in educational leadership from St. Louis University.

In addition to many School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister Marie Michelle is survived by her siblings Jim (Betty) Emmerich of Dieterich, Patti (Kent, deceased) Devall, Joe (Pat) Emmerich, Jerry Emmerich of Effingham and Linda (Bob) Gruenewald, Forsythe, IL and 38 nieces and nephews.