Sister Mary Thomasetta Mogan, RSM, was remembered as a person of love, warmth and character. She died peacefully Thursday afternoon, Jan. 21, 2021, at Mercy Convent in Nashville after a short illness.
A Sister of Mercy for 67 years, she was 90 years old.
The funeral Mass at Mercy Convent and burial at Calvary Cemetery will be private.
Sister Thomasetta held teaching positions in Tennessee; served as pastoral associate at St. Matthew Church in Franklin; and ministered to the patients and their families at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Knoxville.
When Sister Thomasetta retired, she volunteered at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville. She also visited the sick and homebound and provided for those in need. She sang in the choir at the Cathedral of the Incarnation.
Up until two weeks before she died, she continued to contribute in a major way to the community life at Mercy Convent. On her deathbed, she continued to ask about others.
Her commitment to God was reflected by the motto in her ring, “Thy Will Be Done.” Prayer, mercy, hospitality filled her life. Giving to others describes her life. Cheerfulness flowed from her heart.
Sister Thomasetta joined her sister, Sister Maris Stella Mogan, RSM, in the Mercy community in 1953. “I am deeply blessed to be her sister,” said Sister Maris Stella said. “She was my best friend and my Sister in Mercy.”
Her niece, Cathy Matteson, recalled Sister Thomasetta as an inspiration in her life.
“My aunt was an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Matteson said. “She was one of the few people that helped influence my life and took on the role of a surrogate mother when needed. She helped mold me not only as a person but in my Catholic faith and how I treat others. She inspired me to be the best person I could be, and I will always remember her for her huge heart and her love for the people that she encountered, whether it was her students, her family or a stranger she passed on the street.”
Sister Thomasetta was born on Feb. 24, 1930, the daughter of Joseph and Helen Mogan. She grew up in Nashville as a parishioner at the Cathedral of the Incarnation. She attended Cathedral School and St. Bernard Academy, where she was taught by Mercy Sisters.
After graduating from high school, she attended Peabody College.
“I was going to daily Mass and still kind of running around; you know, pretty worldly, just having a good time. But I was just not satisfied. There was something missing in my life,” Sister Thomasetta said for a 1999 article in the Knoxville News Sentinel. “Once I was there (with the Sisters of Mercy in Cincinnati, Ohio) and started studying, in training, I was just very peaceful; and I knew that was where the Lord wanted me. And I have had not one doubt since then.”
Sister Thomasetta was related to several other well-known Catholics in the community. Her cousins include Father Joseph Patrick Breen, the late Father Philip Breen and the late Mercy Sister Adrian Mulloy.
Sister Mary Thomasetta was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Helen Mogan; her siblings, Dr. Edward Mogan, Dr. Joseph Mogan, Catherine Childs, Dr. Thomas Mogan and John Mogan.
Survivors include her sister, Sister Maris Stella Mogan, RSM; her niece Cathy Childs Matteson (Michael); along with numerous other nieces and nephews.
Marshall Donnelly Combs Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
