Sister M. Michaela Collins

A Chicago native, Sister Michaela was born in 1929, the third of seven children of Irish immigrant parents, Michael and Kathleen (Healy) Collins, who named her Catherine Theresa and had her baptized at St. Brendan Parish Church in Chicago.

After completing a commercial course in high school, Catherine worked for the Chicago office machine company, Remington Rand, and entertained thoughts of becoming a Mercy Sister. When her mother objected to that plan, Catherine found “the perfect guy.” When he enlisted in the Navy, Catherine’s call to religious life returned. She joined the Dominicans in 1951, professing her first vows as Sister M. Michaela in 1952.

Nearly all of Sister Michaela’s ministerial life was given to children in the most formative years: primary students. She taught first grade at Holy Rosary, Duluth, MN (1952-1956); St. Agnes, Springfield (1956-1962); St. Augustine, Richmond, MI (1962-1968); St. Anne, St. Anne, IL (1968-1969); St. Mary, Mt. Sterling (1969-1972); and St. Margaret Mary, Algonquin, IL (1972-1980). After a year of assisting with needs at Marian Catholic High School Convent, she returned to the classroom, teaching primary students again, part time, at St. Edward School, Chicago (1980-1986); Hoy Family, Decatur (1986-1993); and Little Flower, Springfield (1993-1995).

It has always been a point of pride and joy—for Sister Michaela and her former first-grader, Bishop Kevin Vann—that their paths crossed in the classroom at St. Agnes. Bishop Vann, the bishop of the Diocese of Orange, plans to preside at his teacher’s Mass of Christian Burial.

In 1995, she retired to Sacred Heart Convent, while still serving as a part-time reading tutor at St. Agnes School (1995-1997) and undertaking a ministry of prayer. She took great pleasure in bringing joy to her sisters in community, by supplying holiday decorations for the hallways and organizing birthday parties, and gathering the sisters for dialogue. Sister Michaela took art lessons from one of the sisters and began sketching pictures of family and friends. Recently, at 95, she participated in Opening Minds Through Art, a program for persons with memory loss sponsored by the Springfield Art Association.

Sister Michaela loved her Dominican life, remarking in an autobiographical essay that throughout her time of formation she became “more and more Dominican.” She completed her degree in education at St. Ambrose University.

Sister Michaela was preceded in death by her parents; and brother, Michael. She is survived by her brother, William; and sisters, Sarah Clark, Eileen Heaton, Mary Arvesen, and Pat Urchell; as well as numerous nieces and nephews and their children; dear friends; and her Dominican Sisters.

Visitation: 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. on Thursday, January 23, 2025, at Aquinas Center, Sacred Heart Convent, 1237 W. Monroe St., Springfield, IL.

Funeral Mass: 6:30 p.m. on January 23, 2025, at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel, Bishop Kevin Vann, presiding, Dominican Father Robert Kelly, concelebrant. The Wake and Mass will be livestreamed at springfieldop.org/livestream/

She will be laid to rest at Calvary Cemetery at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, January 24, 2025. Those services will livestreamed on Facebook @springfieldop.

Memorials to honor the memory of Sister M. Michaela may be made to the Dominican Sisters Retirement Fund, 1237 W. Monroe St., Springfield, IL, 62704.

The Dominican Sisters and family of Sister M. Michaela are being served by Butler Funeral Home - Springfield, 900 S. Sixth St., Springfield.