Paying Tribute to Sr. Margaret "Peg" Dolan, RSHM on the 50th Anniversary of her Ordination in the Religious Heart of Mary

PAYING TRIBUTE TO SR. MARGARET "PEG" DOLAN, R.S.H.M. ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF HER ORDINATION IN THE RELIGIOUS SACRED HEART OF MARY (Extensions of Remarks - April 21, 2004)

HON. MAXINE WATERS OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and pay tribute to one of my most distinguished constituents, Sr. Margaret "Peg" Dolan, R.S.H.M. I commend her to my colleagues and thank her for her service to Loyola Marymount University, to Los Angeles, and to our Nation. Last Friday, April 16th, Sister Peg, who currently serves as the Alumni Chaplain at Loyola Marymount, celebrated her golden jubilee, the 50th anniversary of taking her vows in the order known as the Religious Sacred Heart of Mary. Sister Peg has been a unique link to Loyola Marymount's history, having been present on the campus since the historic merger of Marymount and Loyola. Her many years at LMU have been extraordinary.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Sr. Peg grew up in a diverse neighborhood of Irish Catholics, Jewish, Italian, and German families. Her parents had come to the United States from Ireland. Her father worked two jobs to put all five kids through Catholic school and died at the age of 54. Her mother lived a long life and spent many hours caring for sick neighbors along with her five children.

In 1952 when she graduated from high school, Sister Peg chose to enter the Religious Sacred Heart of Mary. She studied Scripture, theology, and philosophy at Marymount College in Tarrytown, NY for two years. After taking her vows in 1954, she moved to California to study History at Marymount College. In 1957, she earned a teaching credential and began teaching at a boarding school also called Marymount in Santa Barbara.

In 1973, Sr. Peg enrolled at Loyola Marymount University to complete a Master's Degree in Counseling while serving as a Counselor in Training. She was such a big hit with the students that, at the end of that year, the residence hall advisors asked the administration to find her a job. She took a part-time position in Student Affairs at Loyola Marymount. In 1975, after she earned a Master's Degree in Applied Spirituality, Sister Peg joined the LMU Campus Ministry team as Chaplain where she did retreat work and counseling.

In 1985, she was promoted to Director and became the moderator of Gryphon Circle, one of five major service groups for students at LMU. In 1989, because of her interest in doing even more one-on-one counseling,Sr. Peg resigned her position as Director and returned to the Campus Ministry. In 1996, she accepted the invitation from the president of LMU to become Alumni Chaplain.

Reaching out to Loyola Marymount alumni and their families, Sr. Peg single-handedly launched the Alumni for Others program where students, alumni and friends spend a day working together on a community service project. Currently in its fifth year, the program's projects have included the painting and repairing of inner city schools and fixing homes for low-income elderly residents in such areas as South Central Los Angeles Watts, East Los Angeles and the Hilo River Reservation in Arizona. Since the program's inception, more than a thousand people have volunteered.

In recent years, the Alumni for Others program has directed its focus toward assisting inner city schools in need. After St. Columbkille School in South Central Los Angeles had closed its seventh and eighth grades due to financial constraints, Sister Peg spearheaded a development committee to reopen the classes and build a new library, raising over $800,000. Construction of the new library began last June.

Mr. Speaker, Sister "Peg" Dolan has generously offered support and wise counsel to students, alumni, fellow chaplains, fellow staff members, and all members of the Loyola Marymount community. She has dedicated her life to community service and counseling and has made a tremendous contribution to our community. I am pleased to commend and thank her for her outstanding work, and look forward to many more years of her service.

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