Obituary: Sister Marlene Louise Condon Dies At 89

MARYKNOLL, NY — Sister Marlene Louise Condon, M.M., died on Oct. 9, 2022, at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll. She was 89 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 67 years.

Marlene was born in Montevideo, Minnesota, on Oct. 18, 1932, to Frank Condon and Theresa (Rhode) Condon. She had two brothers, Douglas and Frank. Her brother Douglas has pre-deceased her.

Marlene attended Central High School, Montevideo, Minnesota, and graduated in 1950. She studied at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, from 1950-1953, where she received her nursing degree.

She entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate at Valley Park, Missouri, on Feb. 1, 1955, at St. Joseph Parish in New Ulm Diocese, Minnesota. Marlene pronounced her First Vows on Sept. 8, 1957, at Valley Park and her Final Vows on Sept. 7, 1963, in Chile. In 1958, she was assigned to Queen of the World Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, where she worked as a nursing supervisor.

In 1960, Sister Marlene received her first overseas assignment to Chile, South America. After a year of language study, she worked as a parish school nurse in Buzeta, a poverty-stricken area outside of Santiago. From March-December of 1964, Sister Marlene revalidated her nursing title at Catholic University of Chile, Santiago.

Once Marlene finished revalidating her nursing title, she moved to the town of Pemuco. In 1969, she moved to the city of Hualpencillo where she served as a member on the Regional Formal Education Team and as a member of the Public Health Team in Government Clinics until 1974. During that time, she also worked at a rehabilitation facility for alcoholics and did parish work.

From January-June of 1975, Sister Marlene attended Mayo School of Health Related Sciences in Rochester, where she earned a certificate as Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.

In 1975, she returned to Haulpencillo, Chile, this time to serve as a public health nurse. For this role, she supervised student nurses and taught health education in public schools and within the local community. On top of all of this, she was also doing part-time work in the parish until the year of 1979.

In 1980, Sister Marlene returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, for Congregational Service where she served in the Sisters Nursing Home for three years.

In 1984, she returned to Chile where she did Community Health Nursing, taught health education, did pastoral work with Basic Christian Communities, and did service at a medicine bank for people unable to pay full price for medication. During these years, she was also active in Congregational positions and in 1990 was elected to serve as vice president of the Congregation where she remained for six years.

In 1997, she was assigned to El Manatial, Flores, Guatemala, where she worked on an AIDS Project until 2005. Then in 2006 she moved to Pajapita, San Marcos, to assist in the opening of St. Mary’s Hospice for HIV patients.

In 2017, Sister Marlene returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, where she lived until her death. As a last act of service to humanity, she has generously willed her body to science.

Funeral Services:

A Vespers Service was held for Sister Marlene on Wednesday, Oct. 12th, 2022, at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll.

A Mass of the Resurrection was held on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, at 10 a.m. also at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.