Mary Hagele, RSCJ

Religious of the Sacred Heart, Mary Hagele, passed away suddenly on July 30, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri. Mary was born on January 3, 1942, in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Herbert Christian Hagele and Katherine Helen (Freund) Hagele. Mary grew up with one brother and attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart (Hilltop) in St. Joseph, Missouri, which was established in 1853 and now closed. When Mary registered for her classes, she met an RSCJ who passed out a Saint Madeleine Sophie prayer card to the students. Mary kept the card and began reading the prayer regularly after school. As she continued through high school, she became increasingly interested in how the RSCJ balanced prayer, community and ministry in their own lives. Mary was inspired by their example and began to think seriously about the option of religious life.

In 1962, Mary entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at Kenwood. She pronounced first vows in 1965 and renewed her vows in 1968. Once she completed her noviceship in 1965, Sister Hagele enrolled at Maryville College to complete her undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Theology (1965-1967).  During these years, she also volunteered at Pruitt-Igoe Public Housing in St. Louis, making family visits and tutoring adults for GED programs. After she graduated from Maryville, Sister Hagele moved to Cincinnati where she taught part-time at Convent of the Sacred Heart in Clifton for three years.

After 3 years of teaching at Clifton, she relocated to Chicago to work at Woodlands Academy.  Except for a brief period when she traveled to Rome to profess her final vows in 1972, she spent the next 12 years serving as teacher, administrator and counselor there and taught CCD part-time at St. Joan of Arc in Evanston, Illinois (1970 – 1981).  As it turns out, Chicago was her favorite place in the entire world, despite the snow and the sub-zero winter wind-chills.  A lifelong nature lover, she enjoyed the beauty of experiencing all four seasons.

Another interest that had occupied Sister Hagele’s spare time was the study of psychology.  Several years into working at Woodlands, Sister Hagele decided to take advantage of her proximity to Northwestern University and pursue a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology.  The program had an educational emphasis, which nicely complemented the experience that she had gained at Woodlands.  As part of her training, she worked in Northwestern’s student counseling center. 

Receiving her master’s at Northwestern was only the beginning of her journey in higher education.  She also studied for three summers at Seattle University to receive another master’s in religious education with a major in Theology (1973).  In 1981, she resumed her study of Psychology at the Chicago School of Psychology to receive her doctorate in 1989.  Her studies culminated with a dissertation on the importance of psychotherapy, as both a relationship and an art, when treating Borderline Personality Disorder. 

For several years after earning her doctorate, she served as a staff psychologist in hospital settings, including Martha Washington Hospital, where she worked with patients recovering from addiction. However, Sister Hagele had always long dreamed of opening her own practice. Her vision became a reality when she opened the doors to private practice in the early 1990s.  For the next 20 years, she made a difference in the lives of patients ranging in age from 5 to 87.  Sister Hagele’s ministry combined education, pastoral care, counseling, and psychology over many decades. She found that education and psychotherapy were similar in that both processes require connecting with another person, expressing compassion, and communicating the desire to pursue their best interest.

The ability to actively listen, that she learned while working with young students in her early years of teaching, also helped her respond to patients’ unique needs.  In closely listening to each patient’s story, she was able to adapt the psychotherapy process to best suit the individual’s circumstances.  She enjoyed seeing her clients grow, gain independence, and begin to live more productive lives as they responded to treatment. 

Sister Hagele’s compassion and care for patients in the healing process manifested God’s love in the world.  She firmly believed that all love comes from God, and that every expression of love is a visible sign of God’s presence.  Her success in helping patients reclaim balance in their lives certainly is a testament to that belief. 

Sister Hagele officially retired in 2022 and joined The Sarah Community in Bridgeton, Missouri, where she continued to be active in ministry. On July 30, 2026, she passed away.  She will be dearly missed by the sisters who lived in community with her and in the Society of the Sacred Heart.  Sister Hagele was predeceased by her brother, Herbert Christian Hagele Jr. MD, who passed October 30, 2011, and her sister-in-law, Betty Jo Hagele (Barczak), who passed November 8, 1998 and is survived by her nieces, Teresa Hagele, Veronica Leach, Elizabeth Quarantiello and Catherine Putnam, along with eight great nieces and nephews and four great-great nieces and nephews.

The Mass of the Resurrection for Mary Hagele, RSCJ will be held at 10 am on Saturday, August 8, 2026 at the Shrine of St. Philippine Duchesne, 619 North Second Street, St. Charles, Missouri 63301. Visitation will occur in the Shrine an hour prior to the Mass.