Sr. Doreen (John Magdalen) Lynch, IHM

Sister Doreen (John Magdalen) Lynch, IHM

Sister Doreen Lynch, IHM, died Monday, May 3, 2021, at the IHM Motherhouse in Monroe.

Doreen Magdalen Lynch was born March 14, 1934, in Dearborn, Mich., to Theodore and Frances (Assenmacher) Lynch. The family lived near Sacred Heart Church before moving to Detroit, where she attended St. Francis de Sales, and Visitation and St. Francis de Sales High Schools. After graduation, she studied at Marygrove College for two years.  

It was September 1954 when she entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Monroe) and received the religious name, Sister John Magdalen. She completed her degree at Marygrove and later completed a master’s degree at Michigan State University. She was assigned to elementary education at St. Mary of Redford and St. Martin, Detroit, and St. Philip, Battle Creek. Moving to high school education, she taught at Star of the Sea, Grosse Pointe, and St. Mary of Redford. While skilled in all subjects, she was gifted in teaching home economics, instilling confidence and self-sufficiency in students.    

In 1971 she began a position as religious education youth coordinator at St. Kieran’s Religious Education Center, Utica. Religious education remained the focus of her ministry years, serving for nine years in Minnesota, as religious education coordinator at St. Francis Cabrini University Parish (Minneapolis), St. Edward Religious Education Center (Bloomington) and St. Peter Parish (St. Paul).  

Sister Doreen moved to Florida in 1981 to accept a position as campus minister at Biscayne College (Miami), then teaching at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart and serving in religious education for the Archdiocese of Miami. She enjoyed pastoral ministry at the parishes of St. Justin the Martyr (Key Largo) and San Juan del Rio (Jacksonville) and in religious education at St. Augustine Student Center and St. Leo College in Gainesville. She resided in Gainesville, serving as an educational consultant in North Central Florida until 2015 when she retired to the IHM Motherhouse.  

Sister Doreen was preceded in death by sisters, Mary Doreen (infant) and “Mary Lu” O’Connor. Survived by cousin, nieces and nephews.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, services will be private at the IHM Motherhouse Chapel on Thursday, May 6. The services will be Livestreamed beginning at 10 a.m. at https://bit.ly/3gYRZdV  and may be viewed until May 27. Arrangements are under the direction of the Rupp Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the IHM Retirement Fund, 610 W. Elm Ave., Monroe, MI 48162-7909.