By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
FORT LAUDERDALE | Sister Janet Rieden, a Franciscan religious who spent 53 years teaching at Cardinal Gibbons High School, has died at the age of 89, after 69 years in religious life.
She died Feb. 8, 2023, at Ascension Villa Franciscan Place in Joliet, Illinois.
Sister Janet Rieden, Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate: born Jan. 2, 1934, entered religious life Sept. 6, 1954, died Feb. 13, 2023.
Funeral services will take place at her community’s Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 9 a.m. and burial at 10:30 a.m. in the chapel at Resurrection Cemetery, Romeoville, Illinois. The services will be livestreamed and viewable on Cardinal Gibbons’ YouTube channel at this link.
Father Ryan Saunders, a Cardinal Gibbons graduate who currently serves as priest-secretary to Archbishop Thomas Wenski, will lead a memorial service Thursday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. in the Chapel of the Holy Family, located in Ott Hall on the Cardinal Gibbons campus, 2900 N.E. 47 St., Fort Lauderdale.
An avid and dedicated high school teacher, Sister Janet brought joy and peace to all those whose life she touched.
“She was a joy to be with because she always had a story and a smile to share,” said former student Kristin Hanke, now director of Development, Public Relations and Alumni at Cardinal Gibbons. “Her warm hospitality and witty sense of humor were captivating.”
Born in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, Jan. 2, 1934, Sister Janet entered the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate on Sept. 6, 1954. She had first met them in 1952, when she enrolled at the College of St. Francis (University of St. Francis) in Joliet. She earned her Bachelor of Arts-cum laude in English there in 1957. An inquisitive scholar, she later received a Master of Arts in English literature from Loyola University, Chicago.
She began her teaching career after professing first vows in 1957, as a fifth-grade teacher to 60 students in Mansfield, Ohio. The next two years she taught English at St. Francis Academy (Joliet Catholic Academy) in Joliet, Illinois, followed by three years at Sts. Peter and Paul in South Chicago, Illinois. She made her final profession Aug. 12, 1961.
The highlight of her career was the 53 years — 1963 to 2016 — that she spent at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale. She enjoyed teaching Western European Literature and the History of Art and served as chair and chair emeritus of the English Department. By the time she concluded her ministry at Gibbons, she had taught almost every subject, served as moderator of most of the major clubs, and, at least until 2007, she personally had known and educated each one of the 10,437 graduating seniors as well.
In 1994, she received the Golden Apple Award for her excellence in teaching and her talent to inspire learning.
“Teaching was truly her life calling,” said Hanke.
Sister Janet brought balance to her busy life by gardening and cultivating orchids. Even when she moved into the ministry of prayer and presence at Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home, she was surrounded by the orchids that received her loving care. Her interest in reading continued to bring her joy as did stamp collecting and ancestry study.
She is survived by her brother, Gordon Peter Rieden, friends Pat Burke and Holy Cross Brother Michael Brickman, and will be greatly missed by her colleagues, students, friends, and especially, the Joliet Franciscans.
Memorial gifts in honor of Sister Janet may be sent to the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate, 1433 Essington Road, Joliet, IL, 60435.
