Tributes: Michelle Holland gave compassion

Sister M. Michelle Holland left a legacy of integrity and compassion in more than 60 years of service as one of the Sisters of Providence.

She knew the importance of compassion through her own struggle with diabetes and the loss of a leg in her later years, but she never let her illness keep her down. Sister Holland became a well-known participant in the community, attending events in her electric wheelchair, which she equipped with a red-orange flag for safety.

The former director of mission and values at Sacred Heart Medical Center, Sister Holland died on April 28 at the age of 79. Hundreds of people turned out for her vigil and funeral Mass earlier this month.

“She was a woman of great wisdom and integrity,” said Sister Rosalie Locati, who now is director of mission and values at Sacred Heart.

Sister Holland is credited with preserving the Christian mission of Sacred Heart and articulating the importance of justice and respect in caring for people. She was known as a champion of the poor and disadvantaged.

“Her life was dedicated to seeking justice and fairness for all people,” said Joe Legel, former chief financial officer at Sacred Heart.

Legel said that Sister Holland always considered the effect of corporate decisions on employees and patients at the medical center.

“When she spoke, everyone listened,” he said.

Sister Holland was born in Bovill, Idaho, and graduated from Marycliff High School in Spokane in 1945.

She entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Providence in 1946 and professed her first vows in 1948 and final vows in 1951.

She attended the College (now University) of Great Falls and later Gonzaga University, where she graduated with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry in 1951, according to Jennifer Roseman, director of communications and development for the province. Her master’s degree in chemistry was awarded by the University of Notre Dame in 1962, and she also studied theology there in 1981 and 1982. Sister Holland remained a lifelong Notre Dame fan.

Coming out of college, Sister Holland taught science and math at Sacred Heart Academy in Missoula from 1951 to 1959 and worked with boarding students after school and on weekends, according to Roseman. She eventually became chairman of the governing board of the academy, which was combined with Loyola High School in 1974.

Later, Sister Holland taught science and religion at Great Falls Central Catholic High School. She also was acting president for one year at what is now the University of Great Falls.

In Spokane, she served as provincial superior and then as assistant to the president and as director of mission effectiveness and values integration at Sacred Heart from 1981 to 1999.

She served on numerous governing boards and was a founding member of Providence Services, which now is part of Providence Health and Services, and the national organization of Women of Providence.

Sister Holland led the creation of a peaceful garden at the Providence Center for Faith and Healing at the site of a former convent and nursing school at Sacred Heart.

Sister Margaret Botch, provincial superior for the Mother Joseph Province, was among Sister Holland’s high school chemistry students.

She remembered Sister Holland as someone who cared about other people and was capable of seeing two sides of a disagreement. She would compare an argument with a pancake. She was fond of saying that it’s a pretty thin pancake that doesn’t have two sides, Sister Botch said.

“She was a person who really loved life and kept herself involved,” Sister Botch said.

Mother Joseph, who founded the Sisters of Providence in the western United States, is credited with establishing more than 30 schools, homes and hospitals for orphans, the elderly and the infirm in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and southern British Columbia. The Sisters of Providence celebrated its 150th anniversary in the West last year.

Sister Holland is survived by two brothers, Maurice Holland of Clarkston, and John Holland of Spokane, along with nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Sister Holland lived with her companion and caregiver, Sister Dorothy Byrne, for 39 years. They had known each other for 59 years, according to Roseman.

Memorial contributions in Sister Holland’s memory may be made to Sisters of Providence Retirement Fund, 9 E. Ninth Ave., Spokane 99202-1209.