St. Joseph of Carondelet Sister Cecilia Louise Moore, the first woman chancellor in the history of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and a beloved administrator in many areas of church life for four decades, died April 5 after a long battle with cancer. She was 75.

Funeral and memorial services are scheduled next week (see box) for Sister Moore, who had been diagnosed with cancer six years ago, but continued to serve in her archdiocesan posts between (and through) various treatments for the disease. She had spent the last several months at Daniel Murphy Convent in Los Angeles.

Her passing generated an outpouring of sadness mixed with fond remembrances for the woman known affectionately to many as "Sister C.L."

"Sister Cecilia Louise Moore was a person of such remarkable stature that one hardly knows where to begin to describe her many gifts and talents, graces that she so generously placed at the service of the church she loved so much, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to whom she was deeply attached, and of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to which she gave exquisite leadership," said Cardinal Roger Mahony.

"While we surround her with our prayers and love, there is not the slightest hesitancy in stating that this holy woman of God is finally at home, her illness and sufferings now mercifully ended. Just as we have accompanied her on this journey of life and faith, she now accompanies us in a new and grander manner --- as part of the communion of saints."

"She really lived out the gentleness, peace and joy of a Sister of St. Joseph and lived life joyfully," said Sister Maureen O'Connor, present CSJ Provincial Superior, and a close friend of Sister Moore. They shared not only leadership positions but also common experiences and love of good music and education, and they traveled together.

"Most of all," said Sister O'Connor, "she shared the gift of her peace with everyone. Even when dealing with difficult situations, she brought peace. And in the end she died a very peaceful death."

Devoted to education

Born in Phoenix, Sister Moore moved with her family to Los Angeles, graduating from St. Mary's Academy and entering the St. Joseph of Carondelet Sisters in 1945. For almost six decades, she remained an active part of the St. Mary's Academy community.

"The school held a special place in her heart," noted Carondelet Sister Nancy Munro, former principal of the school. "She visited the campus often as a representative of the cardinal at graduations and for special events as well. When she felt the occasion warranted, she would wear her class green tie to functions at the school."

And when she was first named assistant provincial of the Sisters of St. Joseph, and the Provincial Council came to visit the school, she proudly wore her Green Tie for the visit.

After graduation from St. Mary's, she pursued her love of chemistry, obtaining a B.S. degree from Mount St. Mary's College in 1953 and later her Ph.D. from St. Louis University in 1958.

It was then that Sister Moore decided that the best way to inspire young minds was to share her passion of science and education. She taught at St. Cecilia School and St. Mary's Academy. In 1957, she was appointed to the chemistry faculty at Mount St. Mary's; she was later promoted to full professorship and finally chair of the Department of Physical Sciences from 1959 to 1964.

In 1967, at age 39, she was named president of Mount St. Mary's, the youngest in its history. For nine years, she guided the school, students and faculty with fairness and intelligence.

"Leadership," she said in an interview, "must be a cohesive force so that all contributing agents work together, not against each other."

During that period, Sister Moore became a nationally known leader in education, and a friend of many at other colleges. "I was at Holy Names College in Oakland when I first knew Cecilia Louise," recalled Holy Names Sister Mary Faith Clarke, now Vicar for Women Religious in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. "That was in 1968, and we became good friends. She was a great, great woman."

In 1976, Sister Moore joined Daniel Freeman Hospital, Inglewood, as a pastoral care administrator; studied in Rome for a year; and in 1978 was named archdiocesan associate superintendent of secondary schools and colleges, a position she held for eight years.

Diocesan leader

Later, when the leadership structure of the archdiocese was reorganized under Archbishop Mahony, Sister Moore was named Secretariat Director for Educational and Formational Services, where she helped implement a Comprehensive Planning Program for Catholic high schools to assess allocation of resources.

"One of the most obvious and most simple means God uses to work his everyday miracles is the process of education," said Sister Moore. "The educational system we devise for them must be value-oriented, humanizing and civilizing."

As secretariat director, she continued to work closely with educational administrators in schools and parishes throughout the archdiocese. Among them was Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, former principal of Bishop Alemany High School, Mission Hills, and later an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and moderator of the curia.

"In all those years, I always had the greatest respect for Sister Cecilia Louise," Bishop Blaire told The Tidings. "She was highly competent, with a keen mind who could analyze any situation quickly and completely and get right to the truth of the matter. She was someone you could always depend on. And she had such a great love for the church that was reflected in her demeanor, and in her commitment to her vocation."

Msgr. Aidan Carroll, principal of Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, worked with Sister Moore as archdiocesan superintendent of schools, and called her "a woman of extraordinary kindness and compassion. Those who worked with her always knew that in moments of uncertainty or despondency, they could draw freely from the rich treasures of her wisdom and concern."

"Having the opportunity to work closely with C.L. was a unique gift for all members of the archdiocesan departments and her beloved Catholic school personnel," said Franciscan Brother Tom Fahy, principal at Chaminade Preparatory High School, West Hills, and a former secretariat director for the archdiocese in which capacity he served with Sister Moore for eight years.

"When I think of C.L., words such as dignity, respect, collaboration, wisdom, and leadership come to mind," said Brother Fahy. "She was a teacher in every way, but how she lived her glorious life and dealt with the ravages of her illness were undoubtedly her most effective lessons. She served the church with every fiber of her being and she will always be remembered fondly by her colleagues and friends."

In 1997, Sister Moore was appointed the first woman and first religious chancellor of the archdiocese, an appointment for which Cardinal Mahony said "it was not necessary to even pause to seek a candidate; there was only one candidate, and it was Sister Cecilia Louise." In that role, she oversaw the archdiocese's charitable foundations, such as the Cardinal McIntyre Fund, Together in Mission Campaign and various priest and religious retirement collections.

"During my 19 years as archbishop," said Cardinal Mahony, "she became one of my closest confidants and most effective leaders. She had a vast and deep wisdom that underpinned all of her recommendations and decisions. She respected and valued every person with whom she carried out her various ministries, and her loving and kind temperament helped resolve so many tensions in difficult situations."

She was named chancellor emeritus in 2003, a post she held at the time of her death.

And despite the diagnosis of cancer that led to her occasionally being away from the office for treatment, she remained a popular and well-loved figure at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center, known as a calm, determined and wise leader with a dedication to service and a belief that education can last a lifetime.

"This position," she said recently, "has helped me grow in appreciation of church service, outreach and compassion with a genuine striving to be instrumental in the good news of Christ's presence."

Religious Sister of Charity Edith Prendergast, director of the Office of Religious Education, said she appreciated Sister Moore's "gracious and hope-filled presence. Sister communicated trust and called forth the best in every person she encountered, and she had the ability to inspire and empower others.

"Her positive upbeat collaborative spirit was contagious and her gentle yet strong presence was felt throughout the ACC community and beyond. She was truly loved and respected by the staff at the Office of Religious Education who trusted her judgment, sought out her wisdom and appreciated her ability to bring staffs together for input and sharing."

Sister Moore embraced a host of other positions, including serving as the director of the William H. Hannon Foundation, trustee of Mount St. Mary's, and on the board of directors at Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital. Within the St. Joseph of Carondelet community, Sister Moore served as assistant superior, provincial councilor and apostolic board chairman.

"She modeled for others the ways of listening, loving and laughing," said Carondelet Sister Karen Wilhelmy, spiritual director at St. Andrew's Retreat Center in Valyermo. "During the many meetings which she chaired and I attended, Sister listened to the various divergent points of view being expressed, and united them in ways that were acceptable to all present. She could listen and recognize the wisdom of others even when what they believed or articulated was contrary to her own position. Her respect for the dignity of all others was evident in so many ways."

At the same time, Sister Wilhelmy noted, Sister Moore "had the ability to tell it like it is when that was needed and could be effective. She spoke the truth in love but never retreated from the call to challenge others to grow. As my sister in religion and as my dear friend, Sister Cecilia Louise was a mentor, and model, and a friend who never let me get away with anything as she called for truth and integrity in me."

When able, Sister Moore loved to attend performances of the Master Chorale and the L.A. Philharmonic. She also found a special delight and comfort, friends said, in the cat she shared with her religious community --- Jose Angelo Murphy, a gift brought to her as a kitten in a small basket by Cardinal Mahony when she was first diagnosed with cancer.

Jose was for Joseph; Angelo for the City of the Angels; and Murphy for Daniel Murphy Convent, where she resided. And Jose in turn became a center of attraction for her community as Sister Moore battled her cancer.

"Even as she struggled with failing health," said Sister Prendergast, "she never complained, but trusted deeply that all would be well no matter what the outcome. The poet David Whyte writes, 'One good word is bread for a thousand.' Sister Cecilia Louise was that word of nourishment and support."

Last year, Sister Moore was announced as a recipient of the 2004 Cardinal's award for service to the local church and community. With typical grace and humility, she said the award would be accepted only if it were given to her in the name of all of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet who served the Church in the Archdiocese.

"She saw herself as one among many," said Sister Wilhelmy, "and never at the center of things."

A long-time friend and former student at Saint Mary's Academy, Pat Doyle, a nurse, came to be with her and cared for her during her many periods of chemotherapy and hospitalization. Pat was especially loyal during her last months and cared for her until Sister Cecilia Louise's death on the morning of April 5, when she was also surrounded by her religious sisters at Holy Family Community, who cared for her unceasingly.

"She was humble, regal, gifted and simple at the same time," said Sister Wilhelmy, "and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the archdiocese, and the church are beggared by her death, but gifted by the privilege of having known, loved, and worked with one so truly called to the service of others without exception."

"The Good Shepherd assures us that he calls us each by name and loves us with unfailing love," said Msgr. Carroll. "In her life, Sister Cecilia Louise called many of us by name and fortified us with Christ-like tenderness."

Cardinal Mahony noted that all will greatly miss Sister Moore in their daily ministries and apostolates. "In a special way I, personally, will miss her," he added. "She has been that rock of strength, stability, and continuity upon which my own life and ministry in Los Angeles were tethered.

"But she is now home with our Risen Savior, his dear Mother, and St. Joseph for whom she had a constant, special devotion. May she intercede in the midst of her new Eternal Family for all of us who remain behind and who still must complete our journeys. May she now enjoy the fullness of God's light and peace."

Contributing to this story were Hermine Lees, Brenda Rees and Sister Nancy Munro, CSJ.