First woman superintendent of U.S. Catholic schools dies

    School Sister of Notre Dame  Caroleen Hensgen, died of cancer Oct. 15 at St. Mary of the Pines in Chatawa, Miss., from cancer. She was 98 and an educator for 60 years in Catholic schools.
    She served as the superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Dallas from 1967-91. She was the first woman to be appointment the superintendent of schools for a Catholic diocese in the U.S.
    A Funeral Mass was celebrated Oct. 21 at St. Teresa Church in Chatawa, followed by burial in the St. Mary of the Pines cemetery. A memorial Mass is being planned in Dallas in November.
    Sister Caroleen, a native of St. Louis, served as principal at Redemptorist high schools in New Orleans and Baton Rouge. She also served as supervisor of 13 elementary schools for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.
    In 1971, she put an unprecedented freeze on Catholic school enrollment to block transfers of public school students trying to flee court-ordered segregation.
    Memorial contributions may be made to the School Sisters of Notre Dame Retirement Fund, c/o Mission Advancement, 320 E. Ripa Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63125-2897.