Sister Gavin Hagan, 91, a Franciscan Sister of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rochester, Minn., died at Assisi Heights on Thursday, February 25, 2016.
Jane Ellen Hagan was born February 22, 1925, in Glendive, to Paul and Aimee Barry Hagan. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1945 from Sacred Heart Parish, Glendive. Sister Gavin made first vows in 1948 and perpetual vows in 1951. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the College of St. Teresa, Winona, Minn., in 1946, and a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, in 1956. She also studied at St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minn., Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa., and the University of Portland, Ore. In 1966 she accepted a Fulbright Grant to attend a seminar in Middle Eastern Area Studies through the American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon. In 1985 she participated in a Sabbatical program at Notre Dame University in Ind.
Sister Gavin served nearly four decades in educational and administrative roles. She taught at Cathedral and Cotter High School in Winona, Minn., Notre Dame High School in Portsmouth, Ohio and Wehrle High School, Columbus, Ohio. She served as Oral Historian for the Sisters of St. Francis 1976-1978; Director of Women’s Institute for Life Long Learning and College of St Teresa Rochester Center 1978-1985; and as Pastoral Associate at St. Mary’s Parish, Portsmouth, Ohio 1986-2000. She returned to Rochester in 2000.
Sister Gavin is survived by her Franciscan Community with whom she shared life for seventy years; her brother and sister-in-law, Thomas and Alberta Hagan of Lacey, Wash.; and two nephews, David Scott (Heather) Norton of Lacey, Wash. and John Kyle Norton of Chicago, Ill. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Fr. Barry J. Hagan, CSC.
A Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, March 3, 2016 at 11 a.m. in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes at Assisi Heights, Rochester. A Prayer Service, followed by Visitation, will be at 9 a.m Thursday. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery, Rochester.
Memorials are suggested to the Sisters of St. Francis, Office of Development, Assisi Heights, 1001 14th St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.