
Dominican Sister of Peace Noël Toomey, OP (88), a native of Galveston, TX, died on January 27, 2025, at Sansbury Care Center, St. Catharine, KY.
Noël was born to Helen Catharine Fenasci and William Toomey in 1936. She entered in 1954. Noel made first profession in 1957 and pronounced her final vows in 1962, serving God’s people for the last 68 years.
Sr. Noël earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Marygrove College, Munroe, MI, and her Master of Arts in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University, Omaha, NE.
Sr. Noël began her ministry as a catechist, working with both youth and adults in several parishes across South Louisiana and Arizona. She inspired and equipped many parishioners to step into roles as faith leaders.
Her talents and dedication were recognized by both her congregation and the wider community. She served as novice director, councilor, and president of the Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominic in New Orleans. She also chaired Region Five of LCWR and participated in the first International Symposium of the Dominican Family in Bologna, Italy. Her deep spirituality and theological insight earned her invitations to speak at conferences across the U.S. and internationally.
In 1982, Sr. Noël became the founding director of the Archdiocesan Spirituality Center in New Orleans. She also served as an adjunct faculty member at Notre Dame Seminary. The two-year spiritual direction internship she developed and co-taught with Fr. Jerry Fagin, SJ, now managed by Srs. Dorothy Trosclair and Jeanne Moore, is recognized as one of the best in the U.S. To date, 241 lay people, religious, and clergy have graduated from the program and are now serving as spiritual directors in Louisiana and beyond.
Sr. Jeanne Moore remembers Sr. Noël as “a kind and loyal friend to her Dominican Sisters and to everyone she served.” She fondly recalls Sr. Noël saying, “Teaching the Spiritual Exercises and supporting future spiritual directors has clearly been the greatest joy of my years of ministry.”
Sr. Noël is survived by two cousins and three half-nephews.
The Welcoming Home and Sharing of Memories Prayer Service took place on February 3 in Sansbury Care Center Chapel. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on February 4, with burial in the St. Catharine Motherhouse Cemetery.
Memorial gifts in Sister Noël’s memory may be submitted securely online or sent to the Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Dr, Columbus, OH 43219.
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