Sister of St. Joseph Diane Branch died March 9, 2020. She was 87 years old.
Sister Branch entered the congregation in 1950 from her home parish of St. John the Evangelist, Greece. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music in 1960 and a master’s degree in music education in 1968, both from Nazareth College. In 1982, she received a certificate in pastoral ministry and a master of pastoral ministry degree in 1989 from Seattle University.
Form 1953-74, Sister Branch taught instrumental music at Holy Rosary, St. Ambrose, Blessed Sacrament and St. Anne, Rochester; Mother of Sorrows and St. John the Evangelist, Greece; Guardian Angels, Henrietta; and St. Pius Tenth, Chili. For seven of those years, she also served as community supervisor of music.
In 1974, Sister Branch began working as a pastoral assistant at St. Joseph, Penfield. She also served as a pastoral assistant at St. Salome, Irondequoit; Sacred Heart Cathedral, Rochester; and St. Paul, Webster.
After a sabbatical year, Sister Branch became the director of liturgy at the motherhouse for 10 years. She retired in 2013, but she continued to serve as a pastoral visitor at Rochester General Hospital.
Sister Branch is survived by her nieces, cousin, friends and her sisters in the congregation. Her funeral liturgy was celebrated at the motherhouse chapel on March 12, 2020, with burial at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph Ministry Fund at www.ssjrochester.org or 150 French Road, Rochester, NY 14618.
