Sister June Hoffman

(Sister Alphonse Marie)

Sister June died peacefully under hospice care at St. Anne's on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. This day, devoted to St. Lucy and the theme of light, was a perfect time for her,  who radiated the love of God, to enter eternal life. 

June Hoffman grew up on the south side of Chicago and attended St. Gall School where she was taught by Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary. She enjoyed spending time with the Sisters and would help them both in their classrooms and in their residence. When she was in 8th grade, Sister Irene Marie called June and two other girls to her office. She told them that she thought they might have vocations and suggested that they attend Holy Family Academy in Beaverville. June and one of the other girls went.

It is always a wondrous thing when we have certainty about the path to which God is calling us. For June, that happened on a February night during Forty Hours Devotion. For those who are unfamiliar with this practice, this is a special period of adoration in remembrance of the forty hours when Jesus was absent from the world, the time between his death and resurrection. During midnight prayer, June became convinced that this was the time to move forward with her vocation. She spoke with the Principal, Sister Paul Marie, who told her to ask her mother for permission to enter. Over the years, the memory of June’s approach must have brought many smiles to her mom’s face. They were out on a shopping trip to pick out Easter outfits when June said, “I know how I can save you some money…” With her mother’s approval, June entered in July and moved into the SSCM noviciate.

It is not surprising that this is the Congregation June chose to enter. Her father died when June was four years old. She recalls how good the Sisters were to her mother, who was left to raise six children on her own. The other children ranged in age from 11 to 6 months and included two sets of twins. Her time learning from them in school solidified her opinion of the Sisters as kind, loving women.

Sister June thinks of Sisters Lorraine Langlois as a mentor during her grade school years, but during her high school years, it was Sister Paul Marie Lafond who played this important role. She was sensitive to June’s needs and took the time to talk to her. She knew that June was looking at religious life and tried to guide her.

Sister June taught for thirty years and served as Novice Director for eight years. Then one day, Sister Anne Bridget, who was the Provincial Superior, asked Sister June to consider serving as the Administrator for a new nursing home being opened in the Rockford Diocese. She accepted and began working at St. Anne Center, the first Catholic nursing home in Rockford. When Sister June was elected Province Leader, it was necessary to leave, but she returned six years later to serve as Assistant to the Directress of Pastoral Care, Sister Marie-Ange.

Working at St. Anne Center has been the most fulfilling of Sister June’s ministry. Besides helping in the office, she visits and brings Communion to the residents, and helps bring residents to the chapel. The covid-19 pandemic has meant having to work from home, but she looks forward to the day when she can return to the nursing home.

Family Love was the charism that first attracted Sister June to the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary and remains the driving force in her ministry. She strives to be a loving community member and, as Superior, helped set that atmosphere for others. “That’s what I loved about the Sisters at St. Gall,” Sister June says. “They loved one another.”

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