A Memorial Mass is scheduled Sunday in Park City for Sister Margo Cain, former executive director of Catholic Community Services and former executive director of Holy Cross Hospital.
Sister Margo died at her home on April 12, 2006, of cancer, though she had recently been well enough to attend public events with her congregation, St. Mary's Parish in Park City, where she had been serving as coordinator of ministries, according to a spokeswoman at the church. Her death at age 73 came as a shock to local parishioners.
"She had a deep love for people who were marginalized and vulnerable. It defined her whole life," said the Rev. Terence Moore of St. John the Baptist Church in Draper. "She really was the voice for the voiceless."
"She loved the mountains and considered Utah her adopted state," said the Rev. Moore, who preceded her as head of Catholic Community Services.
A native of Spokane, Wash., she was born Jan. 5, 1933, to the late Joseph G. and Agnes L. Dolan Cain. She graduated from University of Seattle with a bachelor's degree and worked as a registered medical-record librarian. After entering the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1956, she was assigned to St. Agnes Hospital in Fresno, Calif., as registered record administrator. She received her master's degree in hospital administration and was named assistant administrator at St. Agnes Hospital in 1964.
She served as a hospital administrator in South Bend, Ind., and also served as director of hospitals for the Sisters of the Holy Cross Hospitals, taking the helm of Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City from 1978 to 1987. She left Utah for a stint in Ohio, working with women's and children's shelter services, then served in Anchorage and Indiana hospitals again before returning to the Beehive state as executive director of Catholic Community Services from 1995 to 2001.
She then worked as development director for Holy Cross Ministries before becoming coordinator of ministries at St. Mary's in 2003.
Services are scheduled today in Indiana, and a Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at St. Mary's, 1505 W. White Pine Canyon Road, Park City.
Contributing: The Associated Press