By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
ADRIAN, MICHIGAN | Sister Carmen Rose Álvarez, known as Sister Carmen, died Sept. 7 at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 91 years of age. Sister Carmen was in the 60th year of her religious profession: 46 years with the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine de’ Ricci in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, and in her 14th year with the Adrian Dominican Congregation. In the course of her ministry, she had spent decades in Florida ministering to parishes and serving migrants and refugees.
Sister Carmen was born in Havana, Cuba, to Fermín and Cora (Alberto) Álvarez Guzman. She graduated high school in Cuba.
Sister Carmen served as an assistant at three different Dominican retreat houses: one year in Dayton, Ohio; two years in Schenectady, New York; and two years in Kendall, Florida. She later worked with migrants at St. Ann Mission in Naranja, Florida, and in refugee resettlement in Miami, Florida.
She served several Florida parishes for a total of more than 30 years: one year in parish ministry at Immaculate Conception in Hialeah and 10 years at St. Hugh in Coconut Grove, five years in pastoral ministry and as the director of religious education at St. Helen Parish in Fort Lauderdale, and over 17 years as a pastoral assistant and the director of Hispanic ministry at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Boca Raton. She later volunteered for over seven years at St. Joan of Arc Parish and for Catholic Charities, also in Boca Raton.
Sister became a resident of the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan in 2018, after which she volunteered in the local migrant ministry and at the Adrian Rea Literacy Center.
Sister was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Mirta Álvarez. She is survived by loving family and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.
A funeral Mass was offered at the Dominican Life Center’s St. Catherine Chapel Sept. 17.
