Sr. Martin Flavin, OSF, died Oct. 6 at age 94. While serving in mission leader roles at Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Sponsored Ministries of Manitowoc, Wis., she gained a reputation in the Catholic health ministry "as a pioneer in mission integration and (in) helping define the role of the mission leader," according to Scott McConnaha, vice president of mission for FSCC Sponsored Ministries.
Sr. Flavin
Sr. Flavin professed religious vows on Aug. 15, 1943, as a Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the former Holy Family College of Manitowoc (now called Silver Lake College) in 1950; a master's degree in English from Creighton University of Omaha, Neb., in 1961; and a doctor of philosophy in English from the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1972. Sr. Flavin demonstrated a passion for literature, research and drama throughout her life, according to information from her community.
Sr. Flavin taught at elementary and high schools and colleges, primarily in Wisconsin, throughout the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. She served at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc in the 1970s and 1980s, first on the faculty and then as director of development.
In 1988, she joined Franciscan Health Advisory Services — later renamed FSCC Sponsored Ministries. As vice president of mission effectiveness at the health system, she helped to establish the mission leader role at the organization, and her influence in this work extended into the broader Catholic health ministry. She also aided in the development of many historical and informational resources on the Franciscan Sisters and their ministries.
In a reflection piece that she authored for her diamond jubilee in 2003, Sr. Flavin wrote in part that "In every circumstance, we hope with the grace of God to persevere to the end, to obtain the joy of heaven as God's eternal reward for the good works accomplished with the grace of God."
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