The daughter of Francis and Martha Whelan Mahoney, Rose Mary was born November 25, 1907, in New Haven, Ky. Her parents were strict Catholics of Maryland pioneer ancestry. Rose Mary’s formal education began at St. Catherine School under the direction of the Sisters of Loretto. When the Ursuline Sisters replaced the Loretto Sisters in 1919, Rose Mary was one of their first pupils. While still in grade school, Rose Mary had a friend, Louise Ford, with whom she talked about becoming sister. They promised each other that they would go to the convent when old enough and take each other’s names. Rose Mary enrolled at Mount Saint Joseph Academy and in September 1927, she entered the novitiate. Her friend, Louise, also entered. They received the Ursuline habit on March 19, 1928. Rose Mary and was given the name Sister Rose Frances. Louise became Sister Rose Mary.
Sister Rose Frances’ first assignment as music teacher was to St. Bernard Academy in Nebraska City, Neb., in 1930. She made perpetual vows, in the convent chapel there, before Bishop Louis B. Kucera. She returned to Kentucky, spent one year at St. Columba in Louisville, two years at Central City and returned to St. Bernard Academy in Nebraska City. She came back to Kentucky and taught at St. Charles, St. Joseph and New Haven before spending the 1950-1951 academic year completing a degree in music from Our Lady of the Lake, San Antonio, Texas. She returned to St. Charles and to St. Francis for four years. She was appointed to the faculty at Brescia College where she spent the next 21 years. Sister Rose Frances did graduate work in music at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., Washington University in St. Louis, and Columbia University in New York City. In 1976, she resided at Seven Holy Founders, Affton, Mo., and served as Pace Music Clinician/Consultant teaching teachers at Notre Dame College in St. Louis. She was appointed International Piano Teaching Consultant by Dr. Robert Pace.
Sister Rose Frances retired to Mount Saint Joseph in 1978. She delighted in working on her family genealogy, crocheting or listening to her record and tape music collection. She kept her music her top priority, spending time each day at the organ or piano and frequently serving as organist for liturgies. Music was her form of prayer. Sister Rose Frances prayed to be prepared for death whenever it came. On the third day of her annual retreat, April 19, 1989, she suffered a fatal heart attack and quickly entered eternal life as she had hoped. Father George Bowling, a cousin, and Father Anthony Shonis, chaplain, concelebrated her funeral Mass two days later. Sister Rose Frances’ remains rest in the convent cemetery.