Sister Fineran Celebrates 50 Years

(Courtesy of the 6-20-13 edition of THE CHRONICLE)

Sister Shirley Fineran of Sioux City will celebrate her 50th jubilee of reception into the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque, Iowa.  Sister will celebrate on Sunday, June 30th, with an 11:00 Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Martin Church in Odebolt and an open house reception from 10 to 11 before Mass and 12 to 12:30 p.m. after Mass in the parish hall, 400 Hanson Blvd.

Sister Shirley Fineran entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque on Sept. 3, 1962.  She was received into the Sisters of St. Francis on Aug. 10, 1963.

Sister is the daughter of the deceased William and Mary Fineran.  Her siblings are Sharon and Richard Kepford (both deceased), Roger and Gerry Fineran, David and Ellen Fineran, and Therese and John Teiber.

Raised on a farm between Odebolt and Boyer, Iowa, she taught elementary school in Chicago and worked for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago before moving to Sioux City in 1991 where she is a social work professor and directs the social work field education at Briar Cliff University, her alma mater.

Fineran has been a founding member of several Siouxland organizations, including the Food Bank of Siouxland, Siouxland Habitat for Humanity and Siouxland Unidad Latina. She has served on local boards of Mercy Hospital Diversity, Boys and Girls and Family Services, Leadership Siouxland and United Way, as well as being an active volunteer in peace and justice, politics and women's issues.

She gives thanks to God for 50 years of blessings.  Sister requests the presence of family and friends as the only gift desired.