Sister Ellen Mary Cunningham (also known as Sister Amabilis) died on Monday, January 8, at Saint Martin's Residence at the Dominican Sisters' Motherhouse in Fremont, California. She was 96 years old.

Born on June 22, 1917 in Oakland, California, Sister Ellen Mary was a Dominican Sister for 77 years. Her principal active ministry was Catholic education which brought her to the following schools:Saint James Girls School, San Francisco; Saint Elizabeth Elementary School, Oakland; Sacred Heart Elementary School, Los Angeles; Saint Mary of the Palms School, Fremont; School of the Madeleine,Berkeley; Saint Ignatius School, Los Angeles; Saint Catherine Academy, Anaheim. In 1967 Sister was appointed Treasurer General of the Sisters' Congregation and in 1970 elected a member of the Sisters General Council where she served as general treasurer. In 1993, followiing six years as Prioress of Immaculate Conception Priory, San Francisco, Sister Ellen Mary returned to the Motherhouse in Fremont where she was active on the pastoral team and the ministry for justice. Her final years were devoted to the apostolate of prayer and community service.


Sister Ellen Mary is survived by family members, her brothers Joseph and Gene Cunningham and her sisters Ann Mahoney and Agnes Fisher as well as nieces, nephews and cousins, former students and many friends as well as the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose.


The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, January 18, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at the Dominican Sisters' Chapel, 43326 Mission Blvd, Fremont. Burial in "God's Acre", the Dominican Sisters' Cemetery, will follow the Mass. Memorials may be made to the New Building Fund or the Dominican Sisters' Retirement Fund, 43326 Mission Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94539.

Berge-Pappas-Smith Chapel of the Angels 510-656-1226

Published in San Francisco Chronicle on Jan. 12, 2014