1903 – 1977
May 15, 1977
Zita Mae Addison’s early life was spent in Jackson, Michigan where as the daughter of John and Adeline (Lanigan) Addison, she grew up vith four brothers and two sisters. Theirs was a devout Irish-American family. After graduating from St. Mary High School, Zita Mae attended St. Mary College (later Marygrove) one year and then transferred to the postulate in September, 1922. The following April she was admitted to the novitiate as Sister Dolorosa and was professed in August, 1925.
For the next fifty years she served as a secondary teacher in many high schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit, in Flint, Jackson and Canton, Ohio. Although she was by professional training an outstanding English teacher, she was engaged in various fields such as aeronautics, journalism, mathematics and in her later years guidance and library work. After obtaining her B.A. from Marygrove she was granted a Masters in Education from Wayne State University and enrolled in advanced courses at the University of Detroit and Marquette University.
Sister Dolorosa was well named. Despite her many years in the classroom most were fraught with poor health and constant pain. Her deepest heartache concerned her beloved sister Adeline who was a member of the community for over three years, but had to return to secular life because of illness. With her she shared hours of anxiety due to difficulties ato disappointments.
Father Thomas Fraser, chaplain, in his homily at her funeral extolled Sister’s patience and total acceptance of the agonizing pain of her illness. He said: Sister Dolorosa was a soul that responded to the calling of the Sacred Heart to endure pain and to achieve what was very close to mysticism in her union with her Savior. In her suffering Sister Dolorosa showed her willingness to end re the cross—not throw it aside— to embrace it and to find in it the purpose of her life, to accept what many would find totally unacceptable.
Her death on May 15, 1977 exchanged her life of sorrow for an eternal life of joy and peace.
May 15 Sister Dolorosa Addison