Sister Diane Kennedy, OP '55
Celebration of Life
Saturday, April 5, 1 p.m.
Rosary Chapel
Visitation immediately prior
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It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Sr. Diane (Mary Alana) Kennedy, OP, ’55. Sr. Diane was called to eternal life on March 30, 2025, in the 68th year of her profession, at St. Dominic Villa in Hazel Green, Wisconsin.
Sr. Diane, Doctor of Ministry, was Dominican University’s inaugural vice president for Mission and Ministry and founder of the St. Catherine of Siena Center, which examines critical issues of church and society in the light of faith and scholarship.
Sr. Diane also formerly served as vice president and academic dean of Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri, and was the Promoter of the Cause for Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP.
For over 50 years, Sr. Diane was in the ministry of educating and animating communities in the Dominican Catholic intellectual tradition. Since 2014, the Sr. Diane Kennedy Lecture at Dominican University has been held each March, the month of Sr. Diane’s birthday. Each lecture supports the university’s mission by exploring a dimension of the Dominican tradition.
Dr. Rachel Hart Winter, current director of the St. Catherine of Siena Center, reflected, “Diane had a gift of seeing the face of God in everyone and reflecting that back to us. Her love of God, community, prayer and contemplation was shared with each of us. Her commitment to good theological conversation and scholarship was such a joy to engage.”
Sr. Diane’s lifelong pursuit of truth was characterized by her wit and intellect, remarkable poise and style, and loving grace. In 2023, Sr. Diane participated in an oral history project with the McGreal Center for Dominican Historical Studies, discussing her relationship to Dominican University. Her interview can be found here.
A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 5 at 1 p.m. in Rosary Chapel, with visitation immediately prior.
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