Sister M. Rosanne Van Housen, OP

11/27/1931 - 04/11/2024

Sister M. Rosanne Van Housen, a Dominican Sister of San Rafael for 70 years, died peacefully on April 11, 2024. Deeply committed to her call to religious life, Sr. Rosanne led a prayerful life, keenly aware of the beauty of God’s creation all around her.

Born Joan Lee Van Housen in Yosemite National Park on November 27, 1931,

Sr. Rosanne’s appreciation for natural beauty was as deeply ingrained in her as the example of Christian charity shown by her parents. Her mother taught catechism and visited the sick while her father led a life of prayer. Young Joan had dreams of being a teacher one day, and it was during her high school years when attending Dominican Upper School as a boarding student, that she came to know the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael. She admired their teachings and way of life and so entered the novitiate after a gap year insisted upon by her father. Those formative years of being a witness to service and faith laid the foundation for a rich life of ministry and service with a strong commitment to life-long learning. Please read more about Sister Rosanne’s life at www.sanrafaelop.org.

The Mass of the Resurrection will take place on April 16, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., in the Dominican Sisters Gathering Space, 1520 Grand Avenue, San Rafael, Calif. 94901. Following the Funeral Mass, Sister Rosanne will be buried in St. Dominic’s Cemetery in Benicia around 1 p.m. All are welcome. Memorial gifts in honor of Sister Rosanne may be made to the Retirement Fund, Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, Advancement Office, 1520 Grand Avenue, San Rafael, Calif. 94901 and online at www.sanrafaelop. org/get-involved/ways-togive.

Assisted by Monte’s Chapel of the Hills, San Anselmo, Calif.