ASTON, Pa. – Sister Kathleen Cronin, a Wilmington native who was a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 68 years, died Jan. 15 in Assisi House. She was 90.
Sister Kathleen Cronin, formerly Sister St. Philomene, was born in Wilmington, where she was a member of St. Ann Parish. She graduated from Wilmington High School and entered the congregation in 1949. Her late sister, Sister Margaret Philomene, also was a member of the Franciscans.
Sister Kathleen ministered for 62 years in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. She was a nurse and a member of the nursing faculty at St. Agnes and St. Agnes School of Nursing, and she was a member of the Neumann University community for more than 30 years. At Neumann, Sister Kathleen was a professor of nursing, assistant to the chairperson of nursing, assistant to the vice president of academic affairs, and, in her later years, a volunteer. She also worked in parish ministry in Chester.
Surviving are two sisters, Ann Farrell and Mary Frances Kelleher, along with nieces and nephews. Services will be Friday, Jan. 18, at Assisi House, 600 Red Hill Road, Aston. A Christian wake service will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by a viewing. The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m., with burial to follow in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery. Donations in Sister Kathleen’s name can be made to the Sisters of St. Francis Foundation, 609 S. Convent Road, Aston, PA 19014.
