Sister Rosaria, Agnes Kathryn, was born Jan. 4, 1922, the first child to William Jennings and Bessie Pike Ray, in Sirocco, Ky. She was baptized by Reverend Joseph Gettelfinger at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Payneville, Ky. Seven siblings (including a set of twin) — four sisters and three brothers — would eventually become Kathryn’s family.
Kathryn’s formal education began at Meade County Public School in Black Jack, located near Flaherty. She finished grade school at Sirocco. She boarded all four years of high school with the Ursuline Sisters at St. Martin of Tours convent in Flaherty and graduated from Flaherty Public High School where several Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph were on the faculty. (All teaching positions in the Flaherty Elementary school were filled by Ursuline Sisters.) After graduation Kathryn worked for two years at Fort Knox in a Civil Service Office. On February 2, 1942, Kathryn entered the novitiate at Mount Saint Joseph. On August 14 that same year, she received the Ursuline habit and was given the name Sister Rosaria.
Sister Rosaria spent 48 years in the teaching profession — 22 as classroom teacher; 26 as principal. She served in the following Kentucky schools: St. Paul, Leitchfield; St. Peter, Stanley; St. Brigid, Vine Grove; St. Alphonsus, St Joseph; Mayfield, St Joseph; SS Joseph and Paul and Immaculate in Owensboro; and in Waterflow, N.M., and Nebraska City, Neb.
In 1991 Sister Rosaria began pastoral work at St. John the Evangelist Church at Sunfish, in Edmonson County, Ky. In 1998, she retired to the Motherhouse and was actively involved in many ministries on campus until 2003.
Sister Rosaria died at 4:30 in the morning on Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Saint Joseph Villa. The Mass of Resurrection was celebrated at 2 p.m. in the Motherhouse chapel. Sister’s remains were carried in solemn procession to Mount Saint Joseph Cemetery for burial.