Mary Margaret Thieneman was born on December 7, 1920, in Shively, Ky., to John Joseph Thieneman and Elizabeth Mary Senn Thieneman. She was baptized the next day, December 8, at St. Denis Church by Fr. A. C. Zoeller. She was confirmed on April 22, 1928, by Bishop John Floersch.
Mary Margaret was the first on nine children. Her brothers and sisters were Joseph Herman, John Martin, Paul Joseph, Edward Francis, Earl Thomas, Rose Marita Thieneman, Bernice Mattei and Therese Stuber.
Mary Margaret’s schooling began at home where her parents taught her to read, write and spell. As a preparation for her formal entry to school in the fall of 1927, Mrs. Thieneman obtained permission for Mary Margaret to “sit” in on classes in the spring of 1927. So well had they prepared her for school that she was promoted to the second grade at the end of that period. She recalled how patiently Sister Thomas Ann rehearsed with her the valedictorian speech she gave when graduating from the eighth grade. Other formal education included certification in commercial education from St. Helena’s Commercial Night High School in Louisville and Mount Saint Joseph Academy, a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in history from Brescia College and a master’s degree in education with a certificate in secondary school guidance counseling from the University of Detroit.
Mary Margaret was hesitant to enter the convent because she thought she was too old. She said, “At 21, I reasoned that no one enters a convent when they are this old. My social life was interesting. … Then, one autumn day at age 27, she returned home from having spent an hour in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament during Forty Hours at her parish. In her room while changing to casual attire, there was a persistent voice that kept asking, “Who told you, you were too old?” The questioning voice persisted, awaiting an answer. Mary Margaret finally said, “Yes, Lord, I’ll check it out.” It was then that she decided to talk with someone about the Ursulines. After two visits with Sister Thomas Ann, she decided to enter. To her surprise, she found that there was a novice in the class ahead of her who was in her forties. It was as if the Lord was saying to her, “And who told you, you were too old?”
Mary Margaret entered Mount Saint Joseph novitiate on February 1, 1949. She received the habit on August 14, 1949, and made first vows on August 15, 1951. Sister Rosalin made final vows on August 15, 1954. The other women in her class were Sisters Mary Modesta Coomes, Gabriella Holand, Robert Mary Kennedy, Mary Francita Russell, Eileen Marie Rueth, Helen Ann Stuart, Mary Karen Sweatt, and Mary Jacinta Tichener.
Sister Rosalin began her teaching ministry in September 1951 at St. Brigid School, in Vine Grove, Ky., and then went to St. Thomas More School in Paducah, Ky. Feeling a great deal of confidence and enthusiasm, Sister Rosalin was shocked when Mother Ambrose Martin called her in October and asked her to come to MSJ Academy to teach typing and serve as secretary to Sister Joseph Therese, principal of the Academy.
In June of 1961, Sister Rosalin began a 27-year ministry in Student Personnel Administration at Brescia College — Assistant Registrar, Student Financial Aid, Student Personnel Director. In 1989, Sister Rosalin began another ministry — parish minister at St. St. Edward Parish, Jeffersontown, Ky., one of her favorite ministries. Coming to the Mount in 2001, Sister served as an information receptionist and volunteer in the finance office.
Sister Rosalin died March 29, 2017. The visitation began Sunday, April 2, 2017 at 4 pm followed by the wake service at 6:30 pm. The funeral Mass was Monday, April 3, 2017, at 10:30 am. Her remains are buried in the convent cemetery.