Remembering S. Christine Rody

“If the world takes something from us on the one hand, God will give us something on the other.”

St. Louise de Marillac

Sister Christine Marie Rody died on April 3, 2026, at the age of 83 in Mother Margaret Hall, the nursing facility for the Sisters of Charity.

Sister Christine was born on Sept. 12, 1942, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Joseph A. and Ruth Emily (Sisler) Rody. She was the oldest of five children, with one sister and three brothers. She was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 21 years, following the merger of the Vincentian Sisters of Charity of Bedford, Ohio, and the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in 2004. She entered the Vincentian Sisters of Charity in 1958 while still a sophomore in high school.

Sister Christine grew up in Bedford, Ohio, attending St. Mary and St. Pius X grade schools and graduating from Marymount High School in Garfield Heights, Ohio, in 1959. Her call to religious life began early; as a sixth grader, she recalled hearing a talk on vocations and realizing, “I could do that.”

Sister earned a Bachelor of Science degree from St. John’s Teachers College in Cleveland in 1966, a master’s degree in theology from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, in 1976, and a Licentiate in Canon Law (J.C.L.) from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 1995.

Throughout her more than 60 years of faithful service, Sister Christine ministered in a wide variety of roles – student, teacher, missionary, administrator, board and committee member, canon lawyer, and congregational leader. She was a gifted listener and interpreter, offering a compassionate presence to those she accompanied, and later served as Defender of the Bond for the Cleveland Diocesan Tribunal.

Sister Christine began her ministry in education, serving as an elementary and junior high school teacher at St. Mary School in Bedford, Ohio (1962-1963), and St. Barnabas School in Northfield, Ohio (1963-1969). She later joined the faculty of Lumen Cordium High School in Bedford, Ohio, where she taught from 1969 to 1975.

In 1975, she felt called to serve beyond the classroom and volunteered with the Cleveland Latin American Mission Team in El Salvador. After intensive Spanish language training in Cochabamba, Bolivia, she began her mission ministry. While in El Salvador, she served during the time of the tragic murders of four Church women, working alongside Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel for five years and with Jean Donovan for one year. At the time of the tragedy, Sister Christine was ministering in a refugee center in San Salvador at the request of the Maryknoll Sisters. The Cleveland Team returned to the United States after Christmas 1980, recognizing the serious danger they faced.

After returning to the United States, Sister Christine spent a year at the Vincentian Center for Spirituality, discerning how best to use her gifts in service to the Church in Northern Ohio. Recognizing a growing need for Spanish-speaking ministers in the Cleveland Diocesan Tribunal, she pursued studies in canon law at The Catholic University of America.

Sister Christine served in leadership for the Vincentian Sisters of Charity from 1983 to 1991, helping guide the community through a time of discernment and transition with a deep commitment to mission and justice. During the 1980s and 1990s, she also offered significant service beyond her congregation, serving Catholic Charities Services Corporation as vice president and chair of the Board of Trustees, and contributing to the boards of Regina Health Center, Light of Hearts Villa, and Tabor Consultation Center.

From 1991 to 1999, Sister Christine served as Delegate for Religious for the Diocese of Cleveland, while continuing her studies and earning her Licentiate in Canon Law in 1995. She later served another term in congregational leadership from 1999 to 2004.

In 2004, the Vincentian Sisters of Charity of Bedford merged with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. Following the merger, Sister Christine served as Defender of the Bond for the Cleveland Diocesan Tribunal from 2004 to 2011. She was later elected to the leadership team of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, serving one term from 2011 to 2015.

Sister Christine later moved to the Motherhouse, where she continued her ministry through volunteer service. She assisted with canon law casework and served as an interpreter at the St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy, supporting both immigrant clients and medical personnel. She also enjoyed creating handiwork, including embroidery, counted cross-stitch, and quilted purses, often inviting other Sisters to join her. She appreciated good conversation and a challenging book, and family and friends especially valued her cooking.

Reflecting on the future, Sister Christine once said, “I would like to continue being of service in whatever way I can. I hope we can continue to make a difference in the lives of the people and in the places we serve.”

Sister Christine is survived by her sister, Sister Ruth Ann Rody, SC, and brothers Robert and Joseph (Rusty) Rody as well nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her brother William Rody.

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