Sister Claudia Hinds
1914-2007

Sister Therese Haggerty described the gentle, soft-spoken Sister Claudia Hinds as "a breath of fresh air." When we look at her life and see her accomplishments, we realize that she was, indeed, a "breath of fresh air" in more instances than one. Truly, God blessed her with many talents that she shared generously. Sister Joan Sustersic described her aptly as a lifelong learner and an activist, working for justice and peace, human rights, and ecology.

Claudia was the sixth of the seven children parented by James Alexander and Mary (O'Reilly) Hinds, and a late Christmas present from God, born on December 29, 1914, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That date was also the tenth birthday of her older sister Mary. James Hinds and Mary O'Reilly were originally from Ontario, Canada, where they met and married. Soon they moved to South Dakota on a homestead grant, where their first two children were born. A few years later they took the family to Minneapolis, where they made their permanent home. In her autobiography Sister Claudia described her mother as "the efficient and practical manager of the household" and her father as "the easy-going breadwinner." They had, she wrote, "very little," but enjoyed what they had, especially the public park in the neighborhood where the children benefited from recreation in all seasons.

The parents were active members of Ascension Church. When it was time for school, Claudia began her education in a public school, as there was no room for her in Ascension School, where the Sisters of St. Joseph were the teachers. When she finished third grade, she transferred to Ascension School. Her high school years were completed at North High School, from which she graduated in 1932. She had been an excellent student all through her school years, and her teachers encouraged her to attend the University of Minnesota, which was close and affordable for those who could commute. In June 1936 she received a Bachelor's Degree with a major in English and minors in French and mathematics.

Her education prepared her for teaching, and she soon found a position in a small-town school, Lakeville High School, where she taught English and math for two years. She continued her studies at the University of Minnesota, and in July 1939 received a Master's Degree with a major in education and minors in educational psychology and statistics. After taking a civil service examination, she was offered a position with the Bureau of Census in Washington, D.C., at twice her teaching salary, took the position, and in 1940 left Minneapolis for "new horizons." She worked with the Bureau of Census until her entrance into the Congregation. During World War II, from 1940 to 1943, in her late twenties, she also did some Red Cross recreation work at Camp Lee, Virginia. There she met a Dominican priest who introduced her to Sister Marie Carolyn Klinkhamer, an Adrian Dominican sister.

From her early years, the idea of becoming a religious sister had been in Claudia's mind. One of her best friends had entered the Benedictines years before, but Claudia had delayed. When she decided that the time had come, she was in her thirties and attracted to both the Dominicans and a newly founded Secular Order. After much deliberation, she chose to become an Adrian Dominican.

On December 26, 1951, three days before her thirty-seventh birthday, she arrived in Adrian and entered the postulate. Within a short time she was assigned to teach a class at St. Alphonsus in Dearborn, Michigan, for the second semester of that school year. She returned to Adrian for the summer of 1952, and received the habit and her religious name (Sister James Claudia) on August 4. She wrote that she found the novitiate "a bevy of activity."

My obedience was teaching the other postulants and novices, and tutoring a postulant from the Dominican Republic. I was reintroduced to the culture of teenagers and young adults. I admired the work of Sister Rita Marie [Callaghan] and Sister Patrick Jerome [Sister Mary Mullins] for their endurance and spirituality… They were powerful influences in continuing my development along Dominican lines.

On August 5, 1953, she professed her first vows and was sent to Chicago to teach sixty first-grade children at St. Denis School. During the summers she studied at Loyola University. After four years at St. Denis, she was assigned as a full-time student at Loyola University for the 1957-58 school year. She spent the first semester of the next school year at Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette, Illinois, teaching math and religion and setting up a guidance and testing program.

She had taken comprehensives at Loyola in December and January, and upon receiving word that she had passed them she was transferred to Barry College (now University) in Miami, Florida, to replace a sister who was ill. There she taught in the Education Department for almost four years. She received her doctorate in 1961, and in 1963 she was moved back to Michigan, where she taught for eleven years at Siena Heights College (now University) in Adrian, the last year as chairperson of the graduate division. Annita Aranda, present director of the Upward Bound Program at Siena Heights University, sent a message to Sister Claudia's wake, saying in part, "Sister Claudia wrote the very first Upward Bound grant. So had it not been for her vision and dedication in helping the youth of our community, we would not be here thirty-four years later."

In 1974 Sister Claudia left Adrian for the Bahamas and a teaching position at St. Thomas More Elementary School in Nassau. For the next year she served as principal at Bishop Leonard Junior High School, also in Nassau, then a year as Diocesan religious education coordinator. That year she was elected regional coordinator of the sisters in the Bahamas. The educational system was behind that of the United States, but she loved the people and her fellow teachers. She organized tutoring projects, and trained high school students to tutor the small children in reading. In 1977 she moved to the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, and served as a pastoral minister at St. Gregory Parish. She wrote of this time in the Bahamas as "a fascinating experience." Sister Norma Dell, a member of her crowd, visited her in the Bahamas, and said at the wake:

She had that gift for total poverty. There were a few wealthy people there, but mostly people in extreme poverty who came from slave families. I didn't know it, but she had her Ph.D. at that time. But she talked to the people, seemed to understand their problems, and got along with them well.

Sister Claudia returned to Minneapolis in 1978 because of the terminal illness of her sister Madeline, and lived with her and Mary, helping them until Madeline's death in 1979. She wrote of this time as "a year of blessing, reunited with family members."

Santa Cruz, California, was the site of her next ministry. She served for three years as religious education coordinator at Holy Cross Parish, but kept in touch with Mary. During this time she earned a certificate from the California Department of Aging. She then returned to Minneapolis and ministered for six years as a parish worker at her home parish, Ascension Parish, in order to be near Mary who was living alone in a large house. In 1981 Sister Claudia earned a Master Catechist certificate, and in 1986 took aging studies at the University of Minnesota. During this time, she helped at Catholic Eldercare, teaching a class in creative writing.

In 1988, after Mary moved into senior apartments, Sister Claudia's ministry took her to Chicago, where she served as coordinator at Our Lady Star of the Sea Convent, and visited Mary monthly until Mary's death. After two years she moved for a year to Mercy Boys Home as family service representative. She then served Family Care Services for two years as a senior companion. She moved into Our Lady of Good Counsel convent in 1993, and ministered as a tutor for three years.

It was at this time that she also answered the call of the Bishops to help in the countries that were emerging from Communism. After some training, she spent three weeks in Hungary, teaching English to the faculty and staff of a Catholic teachers college. She intended to return later, but was prevented by illness and surgery.

In 1996 she was asked to open and take on the administration of Aquinas Literacy Center in Chicago, and she served in this capacity for five years. An article about the Center and a large picture of her appeared in the Chicago Tribune of February 10, 1997. At the wake, Sister Joan Mary spoke of those years.

When we started, we had only five tables and chairs, and only fifteen students. [Five years later there were sixty-five students]. She was creative. She got teachers and donors. Also, she saw each student as a potential author, speaker, citizen, or holding a position in government. They weren't just going to learn to read and write. She saw far beyond that.

She would visit the people in the area and find students. She was just marvelous. All of us want to thank her for all she gave us because it lives on today. We're proud of our first director.

In 1999 the McKinley Park Civic Association honored Sister Claudia with the Outstanding Educator Award for the school year 1998-99.

Sister Claudia returned to Adrian in 2001 and lived in Regina Residence until April 2005. She was very much interested in ecology and saving the Earth, and began helping in the Earth Resource Room in Madden Hall. Sister Kathleen Erard remembered that time.

So generously and willingly she gave of her time and energy to all who visited the Earth Resource Room… She was voracious, ready to do anything that related to ecology and our Vision 2004 Integration… Her faith and prayer life were very strong and inspiring. This was a gift we shared, along with great conversations… Each day that she came to help, she would leave saying, "Ta ta."

Sister Sharon Weber spoke in praise of what Sister Claudia had done for Siena Heights University, and Sister Therese Haggerty told those assembled at the wake that in 2005 Sister Claudia, along with three other sisters serving in the environmental field, received the Environmental Hero Award from Lenawee County.

In April 2005, Sister Claudia moved from Regina Residence to the Maria Building, where she remained until her death on October 31 (the eve of All Saints Day, popularly called Halloween), 2007.

A wake-remembrance service was held for Sister Claudia in St. Catherine Chapel on November 4. Sister Joan Sustersic, Prioress of Holy Rosary Mission Chapter, opened the service. She extended sympathy and welcomed those present: Sister Claudia's nephew Tom Hinds and his wife, her niece Judith Olmsted and husband Don, and her many Dominican friends. Sister Joan summarized Sister Claudia's life and ministry, and spoke of her last years in the Maria building and her efforts to ensure that fruit skins, egg shells, etc., were added to the compost pile.

Sister Claudia suffered from diabetes, a sore on her leg that would not heal, and other complications. Her mind was still very active, but the body refused to cooperate. She vetoed the idea of an amputation, and decided that she would discontinue treatment and rely on God's help to continue her ministries… She was an avid reader, and spent time reading numerous papers and periodicals.

On October 22 she suffered a stroke that affected the right side of her body and her ability to swallow and speak. For a woman so mentally active and into things, she found it very difficult but refused to complain.

Sister Joan mentioned that on October 31, the day of Sister Claudia's death, her great niece Tara Kennedy and her mother drove from Minnesota to visit Sister Claudia. They, however, arrived after her death. Tara sent a message to the wake. She wrote in part:

She was always interested in what the kids were doing in school… She never failed to read with my kids when she came to visit.

She often went swimming or skating with us, depending on the season… When we were younger, I remember waiting for her to come home at Christmas because she'd take us skating on the lake. She was one of the few grown-ups who skated with us.

Judith Olmsted, Sister Claudia's niece, shared memories. She spoke of the many books that Sister Claudia gave her, and of the large-figure Nativity set that she gave the family.

For many years she made return visits to her home town. She often stayed with me. She always had a list of things that she had to accomplish while in town. The list was always longer than the time allotted… Gradually, as she aged, finally one activity was enough. In the evening she liked to watch a movie. I would pop some corn and get the movie started. About five minutes into it she would be nodding off to sleep. It's in the Hinds genes… I often offered to take her shopping for a new outfit. She always refused… Material things never interested her. Only food and, especially, homemade cookies made her heart sing.

Sister Claudia's funeral liturgy took place on November 5. Father Roland Calvert, OSFS, was the presider and homilist. He reminded those assembled, "We believe that Sister Claudia is in the richest phase of her life, no longer learning about God but actually seeing God face to face."

So, "ta ta" for now, Sister Claudia. We'll be seeing you later.