Sr. Genevieve of St. Margaret Mary, lsp

Sr. Genevieve of St. Margaret Mary, lsp (neé Catherine Anne Roche), died peacefully on April 24, 2024, surrounded by her community of Little Sisters of the Poor at St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly in Palatine, IL, where she had lived since 2006.

She was born on July 31, 1941, in Riverside, CA to Thomas and Cecelia Roche, the sixth of thirteen children. Growing up in Redondo Beach, CA, she was very loving toward her younger brothers and sisters and was like a second mother to them, willingly helping their parents with the cooking and housework. Inspired by an older sister who entered the Little Sisters of the Poor, Sr. Genevieve followed in her footsteps, and made her first vows at their novitiate in Queens on April 24, 1963. She made her final vows at the Motherhouse in France on October 15, 1967. For most of her religious life, she was a “begging sister,” visiting produce markets, businesses, parishes, and benefactors, where she spread her great devotion to St. Joseph knowing with confidence that God would provide for the needs of the Home, the Residents and Little Sisters. Many Little Sisters and others who knew her were inspired by her confidence in Divine Providence and prayerful spirit. Sr. Genevieve will be remembered for her generosity, sense of humor, and concern for others.

She is survived by her sisters: Sr. Elisabeth Anne de Notre Dame, lsp who is also a Little Sister, Alice Roche, Dorothy Kennedy, and Barbara Hopkins and extended family.

Visitation will be held from 3:00p.m. to 6:00p.m. on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at St. Joseph’s Home, 80 W. Northwest Hwy., Palatine. A Mass of Christian Burial will be said at 11:00a.m. on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The Interment will follow at St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery, Palatine, IL.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Sr. Genevieve may be made to the Little Sisters of the Poor – St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly, 80 W. Northwest Hwy., Palatine, IL 60067