Sr. Rosella Holloman, CSA, a member of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine for over 72 years, died on January 11th, 2022 at Regina Health Center/Mount Augustine. She was born Rosa Lee Holloman on March 25th, 1930 in Cleveland, Ohio to the late John S. and Odessa Jordan Holloman. Through the influence of her stepmother, Annie Berry, she was a convert to Catholicism at the age of twelve and in 1942 was received into the Church at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament.
While growing up, she had an after-school job in Dietary at St. Vincent Charity Hospital from eighth grade through the twelfth. At the suggestion of Fr. Striker, she made an appointment with Bishop Floyd Begin, who was Vicar for Religious at the time and was very supportive of her. On Holy Thursday, in 1950, while praying in the Chapel at St. Vincent Charity Hospital, she listened to God’s voice saying this is where she belonged. She took this message from God to mean that she was called to be a Sister of Charity of St. Augustine. She entered the Congregation on September 8th, 1950, professing her final vows on August 22nd, 1956. Sr. Rosella worked as a student nurse at Mercy Hospital from 1953 – 1956. She graduated from Mercy Hospital School of Nursing, Canton, Ohio in 1956.
Her nursing ministry brought her to Timken Mercy Hospital from 1956 – 1966 as Nursing Supervisor on various units. She then went to Mount Augustine to be Supervisor of Regina Hall Infirmary in 1966 for the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. After one year back at Timken Mercy, she returned to Regina Hall caring for the infirmed members of the Congregation. She graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Cleveland State University and then a Master’s Degree in Nursing in 1975 from the Catholic University of America in Washington with a concentration in Psychiatric Mental Health. From 1975 until 1980, she worked first at St. John Hospital and then in 1976 at St. Vincent Charity Hospital as a Psychiatric Nurse Clinician. She returned to Mount Augustine to be Director of the Regina Hall Infirmary from 1981 through 1985. She did several outreach services for the community. In 1985 – 1987 she became the East Side Catholic Center Referral Program Coordinator; in 1987 part time Pastoral Minister at St. Cecelia Parish; and in 2009 Board Member of both the Thea Bowman Center and also Timken Mercy Medical Center. As Assistant Coordinator, she retired to Mount Augustine in January of 2007, serving in a ministry of prayer, local house treasurer and visiting residents in Skilled Nursing.
Her numerous nieces, nephews and cousins whom she loved dearly were a joy to her. Her presence with the CSA Associate members was something she and they treasured. She had numerous friends and associates from the many organizations of which she was a member.