Sister M. Gael's Services
Visitation: 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel, 1237 W. Monroe St., Springfield, IL 62704. Visitation will begin with a prayer service.
Mass of Christian Burial: 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel, Father Robert Kelly, OP, celebrant.
Livestream
Visitation prayer service and Mass of Christian Burial will livestream from springfieldop.org/live-stream
Burial services livestreamed at facebook.com/springfieldop
Springfield Dominican Sister M. Gael Daley died March 27, 2024, at Sacred Heart Convent. She was born in 1932 in Springfield, Ill., to Thomas and Ella (nee Schlitt) Daley and baptized Joan Christine at Blessed Sacrament Church. She made her profession of vows in 1952 at Sacred Heart Convent.
After beginning ministry teaching primary grades at schools in Bradley and Evergreen Park, Ill., Sister M. Gael embarked on a long career teaching Latin. She did this for eight years at Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, where she also taught theology. She moved in 1967 to Springfield to teach Latin and theology, and to assist the boarders at Sacred Heart Academy. In 1978 she returned to Marian Catholic, again teaching Latin and assisting with guidance counseling. From 1991-2000 Sister M. Gael was vocation director for the Dominicans, helping women discern their call to ministry and service in the Church. From 2000-2007 she spent her energies in pastoral ministry at several parishes in rural Wisconsin before returning to Springfield, where for the next decade she was a volunteer pastoral minister at several nursing homes and hospitals.
Sister M. Gael was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings: William T. Daley, Robert M. Daley, and Mary Kathryn Daley Cullen. She is survived by her sister Margaret E. Daley (Ed) Stahoviak, Grayslake, Ill., many beloved nieces and nephews, their families, and her Dominican Sisters.
Visitors are welcome; Visitation: 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel, 1237 W. Monroe St., Springfield, IL 62704. Visitation will begin with a prayer service.
Funeral Mass: 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel, Father Robert Kelly, OP, celebrant.
Wake and Mass will be livestreamed at springfieldop.org/livestream/
Burial 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 10, Roselawn Memorial Park. Livestreamed on Facebook at @springfieldop.
Memorials to honor the memory of Sister M. Gael may be made to the Dominican Sisters Retirement Fund, 1237 W. Monroe St., Springfield, IL, 62704.
The Dominican Sisters and family of Sister M. Gael are served by Butler Funeral Home, 900 S. 6th St., Springfield. Please leave your condolences in the comments below or visit dignitymemorial.com/funeral-homes/butler.
God bless Sr. Gael. I was her student at Marian Catholic High School from 1958–1962. She was a wonderful Latin teacher and a great influence in my life. May God bless her through eternity.
Sister Mary Gael was a blessing to everyone. Her humor and insightful comments were always welcome. She cared about her immediate family and community. I will always cherish the Schlitt, Daley, and extended family reunion she organized years ago at Sacred Heart Academy. She will be missed.
This lovely woman was my great aunt. Throughout her life, she served her students, friends, and family humbly and selflessly. The joy and light feeling she brought to those she touched will continue to be felt by the people that surrounded her. Her joyful tone, positive attitude, and heartfelt care lit up any space she graced and made the moods of those around her lift as well. She was always able to find bright spots in down times, and her example of giving thanks for something in all situations is a lesson that more should try to emulate. Sister M. Gael walked in the light of Christ and led others to Him through her actions, love, and grace. His love filled all of her interactions and was felt by those blessed by her joy and peace. I love her dearly and she will be greatly missed. She had a strong influence in my life and was always one of my favorite people at family gatherings. Rest in the love and light of the Lord Aunt Jo.
Sister Mary Gael was my teacher and mentor at Marian Catholic for 4 years. Her love of Christ and humor are qualities that I try to carry with me into my teaching career. I still tell the story of Sr. M. Gael offering the utmost patience to me as a Latin student who had NO CLUE what was going in translation class. I enjoyed her teaching so much that she would “drag me along” so I could stay in a program I really had no business being in. God Speed Sister Gael and Thank You!
Sister Mary Gael was so beautiful, both outside and inside. She saw beauty in every little thing. It could be a twig, acorn, blade of grass or a sunset. She made us both appreciate nature in a whole new way. Her great smirky little smile and twinkling eyes were a delight to us. Her whisper when telling us something that God or the Holy Spirit had enlightened her with was a blessing. When she and Sister Margaret Therese lived here in Wisconsin, they would visit us on our farm. She adored Jim. Whenever her and I and Sister Margaret Therese worked together, left a meeting or Mass, after a phone conversation, she always asked me to give Jim a hug for her. The last time we visited the Convent, she came around the corner with her aide, when she saw Jim she just beamed with love and joy. She got to hug him one last time. We will miss our visits to the Convent. Everyone always made us feel so welcomed. Prayers for her beloved Sisters at the Convent and for her family. Love Jayne and Jim Radtke
Sr Gael was very, very dear to our Class of 1967 at Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights.
In her Latin class, we were told of the death of Jack Kennedy in 1963. She cried.
In her class, some nearly failed the grade, (me), but went on to learn much with our base in the lingua Latina.
In her class, on St Patrick’s Day, our teacher transformed into Sister Gaelic with a shamrock pinned to her sleeve.
In 1988 she counseled me with only one word: “TRUST”.
She traveled to share in our 50th class reunion in Sept 2017, a few months before her devastating stroke.
Even though we allow her to pass, we linger to remember how she brightened Third Hall at Marian.
Thank you for sharing such wonderful memories, Bea!
sister gael was a jewel
kind
generous
warm
genuinely caring
a gift to all of us
Sister Gael’s love of Christ was ever present in the twinkle in her eyes. At our Founding Four Class Reunion she came before all of us and asked for forgiveness if at any time she had hurt anyone’s feelings…..that is who she was. I was in the class of 1964 and she always said we were her favorite class. If she said that to you about your class, please don’t tell me.
I am grateful she was in my life.