Sister Susan Frances Elwyn SSJD

Susan Frances Elwyn was born in Peekskill, New York, on November 11, 1949 and died after a long illness on September 24, 2020. Her parents, who predeceased her, were David Hunter Elwyn and Elizabeth Leacock Elwyn. Sister Sue is survived by her three birth sisters Katy, Laura and Rachel and their families, and by many friends both in the USA and in Canada.

She received her B.A. degree at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in classics at the University of Pennsylvania. Before entering the Sisterhood, she taught classical languages at Brigham Young University in Utah and Latin and English literature at West Nottingham Academy in Maryland. She remained a teacher always, enthusiastically sharing her knowledge with her sisters, retreatants, many parishes, and through the Education for Ministry program for which she was a mentor and Area Coordinator.

Sr. Sue’s early Christian formation was at St. Mary Anne’s Episcopal Church in Northeast, MD – a parish where she made deep friendships and where she discovered the possibility of religious life in the Episcopal/Anglican tradition. She entered the Sisterhood in June, 2000, made her First Profession on November 11, 2003 and her Life Profession on October 18, 2006.

As one of our Sisters said so well, Sr. Sue left a trail of love, peace, and friendship everywhere she went. She had broad experience of ministry within the Sisterhood, including St. John’s Rehab in Toronto, Maison St-Jean in Montreal, and St. John’s House in Victoria, B.C. She adapted easily to new circumstances and her gifts of teaching and creativity went with her everywhere. She completed the Jubilee Program in Spiritual Direction and did spiritual direction long-distance before most of us had ever heard of Zoom. Sr. Sue was a poet, hymn writer, spiritual director, and retreat leader as well as a creative wood-worker, painter, and lover of nature.

The Sister's of St. John the Divine ask you to join them for the service for Sister Sue by accessing the livestreaming link below. Service will be held on Tuesday September 28, 2020 at 11 am.

https://youtu.be/jzXQLE5jpds