Sister Joan Cadden, CSJ, 87

Sister Joan Cadden, CSJ

Sister Joan Cadden, CSJ, 87, (John Catherine), died Nov. 5 at the Teresian House in Latham in the 67th year of her religious life. Born March 16, 1937, in Binghamton, Sister Joan was one of two siblings and the only daughter of Anna and John Cadden. Sister Joan graduated from St. Patrick’s High School in Binghamton in 1955 and entered The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1957. Prior to that, Sister Joan worked as an executive secretary for IBM.

It became obvious early on that Sister Joan was a very gifted and flexible woman as her life in community will attest. She began as a high-school business teacher, spent an interim teaching fourth grade, resumed teaching high-school business, then served on the treasurer’s office staff before becoming registrar at The College of Saint Rose in Albany. In each of these capacities, Sister Joan exhibited attention to detail and a willingness to learn coupled with her good humor and sunny smile. These qualities made her an excellent candidate for an administrative position which Sister Joan assumed in 1985 as assistant to the Provincial House administrator for one year, then becoming administrator herself for six years. 

In August 1992, Sister Joan’s innate kindness and compassion led her to Maria College in Albany to pursue a degree in nursing which she achieved two years later. For 29 years, Sister Joan held a variety of nursing positions: staff R.N., staff development coordinator, and nursing supervisor and community health care advisor, and treated each patient with reverence and dignity. In April 2023, suffering from a long-term disease, Sister Joan retired. With her deep faith and her trust in the providence of God, Sister Joan accepted her illness without self-pity or complaint.

Sister Joan is mourned by her beloved community, her friends, especially Sister Mary Anne Heenan, and the Sisters at the Teresian House. She is survived by two cousins: Eileen Mlynarczyk and Sue Killarney, both from Vestal, as well as Arlene Gifford and Linda Carr, two good friends to Sister Joan. Sister Joan’s funeral Mass was held Nov. 11 at the Provincial House.

Contributions in Sister Joan’s memory may be made to the Office of Mission Advancement, St. Joseph’s Provincial House, 385 Watervliet-Shaker Road, Latham, N.Y., 12110.