Carolyn Pelzel

Sister Carolyn (aka Sister Monica Rose) Pelzel, CDP, entered eternal life on October 7, 2023, at 78 years of age.  She was surrounded by various family members, and a close friend, Cindy Ford.  Carolyn was born on April 30, 1945, in Olfen, Texas, to Wilburn Paul and Ruby (Halfmann) Pelzel.   She was the oldest of their six children.  Carolyn answered God’s call to become a Sister of Divine Providence on August 1, 1964.  She professed first vows on August 2, 1965.

Sister Carolyn was inspired to enter religious life by the Sisters of Divine Providence who taught her.  However, she chose the Congregation of Divine Providence because of her conversations with her middle school teacher, Sister Marie de Chantal.  Their discussions on world news, and social and justice issues mirrored the foundation set by her parents.  These interactions also showed Carolyn the vibrancy and meaningfulness of religious life.

Sister Carolyn earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the institution founded by her congregation: Our Lady of the Lake University, in San Antonio, Texas.  She later earned her Master of Arts in Religious Studies from the University of the Incarnate Word, in San Antonio, Texas.  Aside from these degrees and other certifications, Sister Carolyn pursued her learnings in Israel, Fordham University, New York, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.  All of these experiences inspired, enlightened, and enhanced her ministries.

Sister Carolyn began her ministry as a first-grade teacher in various schools in Texas and Louisiana.  For over 25 years she served as Director of Religious Education, and Pastoral Associate in various schools and parishes in Texas and Louisiana.  She began her service in the medical field in 1999 in Austin, Texas, as a voice for the disabled, a sitter with those who were saved from suicide, a liaison between family members and medical staff, and an office assistant in the Seton Family of Hospitals.  Her final ministry was in St. Louis Parish, also in Austin, Texas, where she volunteered and was present to its Women of Faith group.  She recently began a card ministry with this group and remained very close to its members.

In appreciation of her 50th jubilee, she shared a picturesque description of her religious life.  “The bayous, the desert, the mountains, the oil fields, the hill country all reflected God’s unique love.  In each place, I became enriched in ways I would have never dreamt possible.  In each place, I felt very blessed by the vibrancy of God working among so many diverse people.”  Sister Carolyn’s family, friends, and Sisters of Divine Providence can also appreciate the beauty of God’s love by having known her.

She is survived by her siblings Donnie (Marcie) Pelzel, Larry Pelzel, Judy (Nelson) Lange, Alan (Mary Lee) Pelzel, aunts and uncles Kay Halfmann, Jeanie and Charles Looka, Carol Pelzel, Fred and Nancy Pelzel and James Pelzel, numerous nieces and nephews and her Sisters of Divine Providence.  She was preceded in death by her parents Wilburn and Ruby Dell Pelzel and sister and brother-in-law Linda and Stanley Eggemeyer.

The Rosary and Wake is Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. A Mass of Resurrection will be on Friday, October 13, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.  All services will be in Annunciation Chapel at Our Lady of the Lake Convent Center. A Memorial Mass and celebration of Sister Carolyn’s life will be held at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Olfen TX at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 14, 2023

In lieu of flowers, you may wish to make a memorial contribution to the Sisters of Divine Providence, 603 S.W. 24th Street, San Antonio, Texas 78207-4619. Full obituary:  www.cdptexas.org/obit