Sister Mary Alfred Holdredge

Sister Mary Alfred Holdredge, CSJ, 98, died Monday, November 30, 2020, at St. Joseph’s Provincial House, Latham. She had been a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet for the past 79 years. Sister Mary Alfred, baptized Doris Jane Holdredge, was born in Syracuse, NY, on January 27, 1922, daughter of the late Joseph Roscoe and Catherine Mockel Holdredge. After graduating from St. Anthony of Padua High School, Sister Mary Alfred entered the novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Troy, NY, on March 19, 1941, and professed final vows on August 15, 1946.
Sister Mary Alfred received teacher certification at St. Joseph’s Normal School and The College of Saint Rose. For most of her years in active ministry, she taught kindergarten in schools of the Albany and Syracuse Dioceses. In addition, Sister Mary Alfred served as a cook in several convents as well as at Carondelet House of Studies and worked in food service at Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse. When she moved to St. Joseph’s Provincial House, Sister Mary Alfred joined the Archives staff and worked in other areas of community in-service.
Sister Mary Alfred was blessed with a generous and humble nature: the kind of generosity that often made a profound difference within her little corner of the world, and the kind of humility that came from accepting her own strengths and limitations and led her to a deep empathy for others. In her personal interactions, Sister Mary Alfred was even-tempered, kind-hearted, refreshingly honest and very caring.
Sister Mary Alfred was a prayerful, faith-filled woman who was devoted to the rosary and other Marian devotions. As sickness and the loss of her eyesight resulted in her retirement from active ministry, Sister Mary Alfred then dedicated her energy to coordinating the Rosary Makers at the Provincial House. Under Sister Mary Alfred’s leadership, the Rosary Makers made approximately 10,000 rosaries per year and sent them around the world via Holy Cross Family Ministries. Through her many illnesses, Sister Mary Alfred found her strength in Mary and in St. Joseph. Like Mary, she held on to her faith and persevered through trial after unremitting trial. In St. Joseph, she found a compassionate intercessor and a model of how to hold on to faith and hope in moments of pain and uncertainty. In both Mary and St. Joseph, Sister Mary Alfred found examples of how to listen to and follow God’s promptings, a discovery that brought her great comfort. Sister Mary Alfred is survived by nieces and nephews and their families; by her dear friend, Fr. John Phalen, CSC; and by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother, Fr. Alfred Holdredge; and her sister, Ruth Sauer.
Due to the continued health concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no public visitation or funeral services for Sister Mary Alfred at this time. A Memorial Mass will be scheduled at a later date. Please visit: www.mcloughlinmason.com.