Sr. Annette Marie Sinagra, OP, formerly known as Sister Mary Grace, died on Monday, August 12, 2024, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian. She was 88 years of age and in the 66th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
Sister Annette Marie was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Frank and Grace (Zangra) Sinagra. She graduated from Cleveland Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio; received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Siena Heights College (University) in Adrian and earned a Master of Teaching degree in Education from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida.
Sister ministered for 15 years in elementary, secondary, and adult education in Santo Domingo and Las Matas, Dominican Republic; and Melbourne, Florida. From 1970 to 1981 she was involved in adult religious education and as a rural community organizer in La Vega and San Jose de Ocoa in the Dominican Republic. She worked for human rights in Detroit, Michigan, from 1981 to 1982. Sister returned to the Dominican Republic in 1982 and was an advocate for social justice in Higuey and Santo Domingo until 1988. The following year she was an administrative assistant for the Adrian Dominican Congregation, representing the Portfolio Advisory Board (PAB) in Washington, DC. From 1989 – 2009 she was the coordinator of corporate responsibility for the PAB office and later served as a special project consultant to the Congregation, both in Adrian. Sister Annette moved to the Dominican Life Center in 2016.
Sister Annette was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Theresann Santoro. She is survived by a brother, Anthony “Tony” Sinagra (Lucy), other loving family and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Prayers of Committal were held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in the Congregation Cemetery. A Memorial Mass will be offered in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221.
Sister ministered in Michigan 35 years:
- Michigan Interchurch Comm., Detroit (1981-82): Human Rights
- Portfolio Advisory Board, Adrian (1989-98): Coordinator for Corporate Responsibility
- Portfolio Advisory Board, Adrian (1998-2009): Corporate Responsibility Analyst
- Adrian Dominican Sisters, Adrian (2009-22): Special Projects Consultant
Obituaries for clergy and religious who have lived or served in the Archdiocese of Detroit may be emailed to [email protected]. Obituaries are printed as they are submitted, but may be edited for grammar and style. Detroit Catholic reserves the right to refuse or edit any submissions.
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