Dominican Sister of Peace Teresa Gurule, OP, (81), a native of Los Lunas, NM, died on December 22, 2020, at Sansbury Care Center, St. Catharine, KY.
Sister Teresa was born in 1939 to Josefina Paubla Aragon and Manuel Jose Gurule. She entered the Congregation in 1959, made her first profession in 1961, and took her final vows in 1966. She would have celebrated her sixtieth year of religious life in 2021.
In the spirit of St. Dominic, Sr. Teresa loved to study, and she focused on learning new ways to improve her ministries. She earned numerous certificates including CCD Master Certification, Pastoral Work with the Latino Community, Secretarial Studies and Computer Science. Observing the world around her, Teresa saw that technology would come to play an important role in retreat work and parish ministry. She took courses in Porta-Pak Video Taping and Basic Video Editing to better serve those to whom she ministered.
Sister Teresa spent much of her religious life in retreat and parish work, helping others hear and respond to the word of God in their own lives. She ministered in Dominican retreat houses in Elkins Park, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Schenectady, NY and Albuquerque, NM. She also assisted at the Loretto Residence Center in Dayton, OH. Later she ministered in parish ministry in San Felipe, NM; Queen of Heaven, NM; Holy Family, NM, and the Catholic Center in New Mexico, where she worked in the education department assisting with the creation and presentation of audio-visual materials.
After her retirement, Sr. Teresa lived for a time at Encino House, a housing development for senior citizens in Albuquerque, NM. She ministered as a companion to many residents who were looking for a word of encouragement during their own challenges and helped her fellow residents keep up with their appointments and medical needs.
Sr. Teresa moved to St. Catharine Motherhouse (St. Catharine, KY) in 2014, and continued to serve her community members through her work as a volunteer. She began her final ministry of prayer and presence at Sansbury Care Center (St. Catharine, KY), in 2017.
Sr. Teresa is survived by two brothers, Orlando Gurule and David Gurule, and several nieces and nephews.
Sr. Teresa was interred in a private graveside service on December 30, 2020, at the St. Catharine Motherhouse cemetery. A memorial mass will be held at a later date at the Sansbury Care Center, St. Catharine, KY.
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