Sister Mary Rosaria Baxter, R.G.S. dies

A funeral Mass for Sister Mary Rosaria Baxter, a Sister of the Good Shepherd, was offered July 28 in Good Shepherd Center Chapel. Sister Mary Rosaria died July 23. She was 68.

Sister Mary Rosaria entered the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Baltimore in 1961, and throughout her religious profession served young girls and women in Baltimore.

She received a bachelor’s degree in home economics from St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg in 1965 and earned a master’s degree in counseling from Loyola College in Maryland in 1975.

Sister served at the House of the Good Shepherd on Calverton Road and also at Mount and Hollins streets – programs which merged in the early 1960s. Sister Mary Rosaria served as assistant child care worker, teacher and director of group life. She was also secretary to the administrator.

A new facility, the Good Shepherd Center, was completed in 1970 in Halethorpe. Sister Mary Rosaria served as administrator of the center for 16 years. She helped provide future direction for the center by developing a vision, mission and values statement, which is still in effect today.

In the 1970s, Sister Mary Rosaria was asked to serve as personnel director for the sisters; local superior in Baltimore; vocation director; and formation director. She was elected provincial of the Washington Province and served from 1976-1984.

She was also a member of the Board of Directors of the House of the Good Shepherd in Baltimore; was a member of the board of directors of Catholic Charities in Philadelphia; member and treasurer of the Baltimore Collaborative Vocation Council; a member of the board of directors of the Counseling Center for Clergy and Religious of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and served on the personnel and credentials committee.

In May 2008, she was elected provincial of the Province of Mid-North America.

She is survived by her mother, Nora Baxter of Baltimore; her brother Joseph and his wife, Chris of Charlotte, N.C.; and nephews, nieces and aunts.