Sister Dolores Abeyta, OP, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, born María Petrita Abeyta in Abeytas, New Mexico, passed away on March 12, 2017. Sister Dolores was 78 years old and a Dominican Sister for 59 years.
Sister Dolores first served as a teacher in Michigan at St. Alfred, Taylor, St. Casimir, Saginaw, St. Anne, Alpena, St. Stephen, Grand Rapids and Beaver Island. Returning to the land of her birth, Sister Dolores taught in New Mexico at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Alameda, Our Lady of Fatima, Albuquerque, Holy Cross, Santa Cruz, St. Mary, Belén and Holy Ghost School, Albuquerque. Sister Dolores also served as an assistant, a receptionist and a case worker at the Diocese of El Paso Catholic Charities and as pastoral minister and pastoral Associate at Holy Cross Parish in Santa Cruz.
Sister Dolores also served as Coordinator of ESL in the WORD program, a ministry funded and supported by the Grand Rapids Dominicans.
Sister Dolores received a B.A. and an M.A. from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids and a certificate in Pastoral Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Continuing her education at Xavier University in summer courses, Sister Dolores received a certificate in the Workshop Way Method.
Sister Dolores is survived by her sisters, Mela Sánchez of Mesa AZ, Angelina (Sesario) Trujillo of Albuquerque, NM and Dolores Durán (Benjamin) of Rio Rancho, NM and sister-in-law, Pauline Abeyta of Las Cruces, NM, nieces and nephews, many friends and members of her Dominican Community.
A Funeral Mass for Sister Dolores will be celebrated on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Albuquerque with a luncheon and sharing of memories to follow. A Memorial Mass at Dominican Chapel/Marywood in Grand Rapids, Michigan will be held on March 29, 2017. Burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery, Grand Rapids. Memorials in Sister Dolores Abeyta's name may be made to the Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters Health Care Fund.