Sister Rose Marie Gallatin, CDP
October 1, 1928 – July 14, 2020
Sister Rose Marie Gallatin, (formerly Sister Mary Constantine), CDP, entered eternal life on July 14, 2020 at the age of 91. She was the youngest of nine children born to Jerome Lawrence and Mary Emma (Rush) Gallatin. Sister Rose Marie was born October 1, 1928 in Vinita, Oklahoma. She answered God’s call to become a Sister of Divine Providence on June 21, 1948 and professed first vows on June 22, 1949. She was an educator with a passion for poetry.
Sister Rose Marie earned a Bachelor and Master of Arts in English from Our Lady of the Lake College, San Antonio, Texas. In preparation to teach other courses she studied Home Economics at Texas Women’s University, Denton, Literature at University of Texas in Austin, and English as a Second Language at University of Texas in San Antonio, Texas.
Sister Rose Marie readily shared humorous stories about her first ten years as a first-grade teacher in Houston, Texas. She looked back and wondered how she managed to teach a classroom of 70 children during her first year. She taught high school home economics, religion, but mostly English for an additional 30 years – 15 years of which were spent at Providence High School (PHS), San Antonio, Texas. She was also the PHS Alumnae Director 1991 to 2005. She was outstanding in her work and deeply respected by all who knew her.
Sister Rose Marie had a natural ear for the cadence and feel of words and guided her students to this awareness. She considered poetry to be the oral art of the soul. She wrote her first poem as a first grader and continued to do so throughout her life. She wrote poetry for individuals and for special occasions. Prayer preceded and was part of her poetry writing. As a woman religious, she always aimed to seek God. Her passion for poetry was a joyful path to do so.
She is survived by all of her Sisters of Divine Providence and numerous nieces, nephews, and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents Jerome and Mary Emma Gallatin and siblings: Paul Hubert, Charles Andrew, Lawrence Edward, James Joseph Gallatin, Sisters Huberta and Margaret Ellen Gallatin, CDP, Elizabeth Auer and Margaret Joeris.
A rosary and prayer service will be held on Tuesday. A Mass of Resurrection and burial will take place on Wednesday. All services will be private.
In lieu of flowers, you may wish to make a memorial contribution to the Sisters of Divine Providence, 515 S.W. 24th Street, San Antonio, Texas 78207-4619.
Obituary (pdf)