A little girl was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 30, 1950, to a Polish lady and an African American man who were not married.  Her birth mother gave her the name Sharon Lee and placed her in St. Vincent’s Orphanage soon after birth. 

 

This little girl was adopted by Delight Bessie and Ernest Joseph Collins and named Diane Leona.  They had her baptized at St. Anselm Church on July 23, 1950.  The adoption became final on April 24, 1951.  She was their only child.  Diane was four years old when her parents divorced and she and her mother moved to Gary, Indiana. The following years were very difficult, and Diane suffered immensely.  Diane wrote the following in her short autobiography: “I believe that in some way every scar has made me more able to relate to, understand, and be compassionate toward all of those who have experienced emotional pain.” 

 

Diane attended Sacred Heart School in Gary, Indiana and was taught by the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago.  Sister Joseph Marie Zenda was her 1st grade teacher.  When Diane received the Sacrament of Confirmation on October 18, 1960, she took Rosetta for her Confirmation name.  Diane credits the Sisters for the development of her faith and its importance in her life.  As she reached the eighth grade Diane began to feel that she might like to do what the sisters did.  She became an aspirant of the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago after graduation from grade school and attended Madonna High School in Chicago, Illinois.

 

While attending Madonna High, Diane lived as a boarding student in the convent with nine other young women.  The aspirancy closed at the end of her junior year of high school and she had to return home for her senior year.  This was a very difficult year for Diane because she had to leave people and a place that she knew and where she felt comfortable.  She had to adjust to being at home with her mother again.  Her mother had remarried and at first Diane was not happy about this new person in her life.  It took a little time, but Diane eventually came to know her stepfather, John, as a very kind and caring person. 

 

In 1968, during her senior year at Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond, Indiana Diane said she felt like a puzzle piece that didn’t belong until she realized that it was up to her to reach out, meet people and get involved, and that is what she did to the point where she thoroughly enjoyed her senior year of high school  She also had a great time working at Sears Roebuck and Co. in the credit department where she met all kinds of interesting people.    

 

Diane kept in touch with the sisters and after graduation from Bishop Noll Institute she joined the Franciscan Sisters of Chicago on August 25, 1968.  A year later on August 11th she entered the novitiate and received the name of Sister Diane Marie.  Two years later, Sister made her First Profession of Vows on August 8, 1971, and her Final Profession on August 14, 1977. 

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In addition to classes on Scripture and the history of the congregation and the spirit of our foundress, Sister Diane Marie worked on obtaining a degree in English.  On July 26, 1973, Sister graduated from Marillac College in St. Louis, Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts and was assigned to Madonna High School as an English teacher.  While teaching others, she herself was a student at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois and in 1983 Sister graduated with a master’s degree in English. 

 

During her years at Madonna High School Sister detected a need that wasn’t being fulfilled at Madonna for the students and their families.  They would approach Sister with various problems that she felt lacking in sufficient skills to help them.  Consequently, Sister asked for permission to return to school and obtain a degree in social work.  On May 23, 1987, Sister Diane Marie obtained a degree of Master of Social Work from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois.  

 

During her 17 years at Madonna High School Sister, besides teaching, served as Parents Club Moderator, Student Council Moderator, Mother’s Club and Guitar Club, debate team, speech coach and even a year as Local Minister.  Sister Diane Marie knew that her strength was in God and her favorite hymn was “Be Not Afraid”.  She taught it to all her students.  Sister liked the color green and everything Winnie the Pooh. 

 

Sister Diane Marie came to Our Lady of Victory Convent, in Lemont, Illinois in 1991 and for the next three years Sister was the Vocation/Formation Director.  In 1993 Sister Diane Marie was elected General Vicar and she served in this position for five years. For the next five years, 1998-2003, Sister served as a General Councilor and the General Secretary.  From 1999-2002 Sister moved off campus when she was the Principal of Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond, Indiana.   In 2002 Sister returned to Lemont to help with the awesome task of moving into the new administration building and soon after helping to move all the Sisters and belongings into the new motherhouse

 

Sister Diane Marie served as General Minister for ten years, 2003-2013.  During this time, she also was active in the Franciscan Federation as chairman of Region 3, 2004-2006, Second Vice president, 2006-2007, Vice president, 2007-2008 and President, 2008-2009.

 

During her many years in religious life Sister Diane Marie served as chair of St. Jude House Board of Directors for 18 years, 1995-2013.  She also served as chair of Franciscan Village Board for five years and was a member of the St. Anthony Medical Center Board for six years.  During her career she was a member of many boards and committees.   

After a Sabbatical year in 2013 Sister Diane Marie accepted a ministry at the John Paul II Newman Center of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Here she served the students, professors, and staff as a campus minister. In 2019 she also became the Director of Campus Outreach and assisted the Newman Center staff and student volunteers in organizing the liturgy and music.

 

In June of that year, she left the University for a position at St. John Berchmans Parish where she became the Evangelization Director, RCIA Coordinator, and helped with Baptism preparations. When the threat of COVID abated in 2020, the children were invited to return to the parish elementary school. Sister took this occasion as an opportunity to welcome not only the children, but also their parents, when she positioned herself on the corner of the block where parents dropped off their youngsters in the morning and returned to pick them up in the late afternoon. She would smile and wave to them faithfully every school day.

 

Through the Archdiocesan program, Renew My Church, it became apparent that St. John Berchmans would be combined with St. Hedwig Parish. Sister played a major role in helping families adjust to this change and on June 1, 2022, the combined parishes became the new Bl. Carlos Acutis Parish. Sister also facilitated the Alpha Program, an intensive 10-week program which invites people to have honest conversations about life, faith, and meaning.

 

Sister Diane Marie organized the parish’s Prayer Warriors, who are volunteers that reach out to homebound seniors for spiritual wellness checks. She also served as a board member in the Avondale neighborhood community advocating for mental health services.  Sister’s most creative evangelization effort was distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday at the neighborhood CTA Blue Line station to commuters traveling between O’Hare airport and downtown Chicago.

 

In the 54th year of religious life and at the age of 73, on August 3rd Sister Diane Marie died suddenly at her apartment in Chicago, Illinois.  Her death wasn’t discovered until Friday, August 4, 2023.  While it is a great shock to all those who love her, Sister is now with Jesus, her brother, whom she loved and served with all her heart.  In her own words Sister Diane said that she “continues to learn that Jesus calls her in a unique way, day after day, to journey with others toward Himself.”