Kathleen Kathy E Carey

Kathleen Elizabeth Carey was initiated into eternal life on July 4, 2022, following a brief illness. Her mission on earth was to bring people together in joyful celebration, and she fulfilled that mission thoroughly in her own unique and loving way. The gifts and fruits of the Spirit were strong in her.

Kathy was born on April 26, 1947, to Walter L. Carey and Kathleen Carraher Carey, in Lincoln, Nebraska. She attended Blessed Sacrament School and Pius X High School in Lincoln. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the College of St. Mary in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1968, and a Master of Arts in Theology and Liturgical Studies from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, in 1969. She was associated with the Sisters of Mercy.

Following her studies in Collegeville, Kathy served as Director of Liturgy at Sacred Heart Parish in Alamosa, Colorado; St. John the Baptist Parish in Longmont, Colorado; and Gesu Parish on the campus of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In these communities, she created and facilitated worship ceremonies, recruited and trained ministers of the Eucharist and of the Word, and established the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).

In 1986, Kathy was named Director of the Office of Worship, Art, and Music for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. There she served a vast community in sacramental and catechetical ministry. A highlight of her service in San Francisco was her position as Co-Director of Liturgy for the Papal Visit of Pope John Paul II in 1987 — a celebration of national significance. Reflecting San Francisco’s diversity, the day of prayer, song, and scripture included the active participation of thousands of people from every walk of life and every language, under Kathy’s planning and direction.

In 2001 Kathy received her Ph.D. in Philosophy and Religion from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Her dissertation, entitled “The Journey Beyond Christian Initiation: Mystagogia, Women Living the Mystery of Faith,” studied the experiences of women newly converted to Catholicism.

Doctorate in hand, Kathy sought a return to parish life as Liturgy Coordinator in Burlingame, California, and then at several parishes in San Francisco. Among these was San Francisco’s Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, where Kathy again directed Archdiocesan ceremonies. Her final diocesan work was as Director of the Office of Worship and Spiritual Life for the Diocese of Pueblo, Colorado. At that time, she also taught World Religions at Colorado State University in Pueblo.

After retirement, she served on the Board of Directors of the St. Vrain Historical Society of Longmont, Colorado. In 2016, she received the Pius X Outstanding Alumni Award.

From an early age, Kathy played guitar, and she had a beautiful singing voice. She was always quick to share her music with friends, not only on their special occasions but whenever possible in their everyday lives. Countless casual gatherings, as well as weddings, baptisms, and funerals, were brightened by the beauty of her music.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents and her three brothers: Thomas Carey, Jere Carey, and Michael Carey. She is survived by many nieces and nephews — and by even more numerous friends, who will always treasure the gifts of imagination, faith, and humor she shared with them. There will never be another like her.

Memorial donations may be made online to: sistersofmercy.org

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.howemortuary.com