Sister Mary Helen Jathas, SHF dies Dec. 3

Sister Mary Helen Jathas, SHF
February 12, 1929 – December 3, 2023

Sister Mary Helen Jathas, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family, died peacefully on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 3, at the age of 94. She was born on Feb. 12, 1929, in Oakland, California, the daughter of Thomas Jathas and Eleanor King.

She entered the Sisters of the Holy Family on July 7, 1953, at the age of 24, from St. Anthony Parish in Oakland, and was given the name Sister M. Augustine, changing back to her baptismal name in 1975.

Sister Mary Helen served as catechist and director of religious education in various parishes in California and Hawaii before coming to the motherhouse in Fremont in 2003. There, she served as a volunteer in the Development Office and later coordinator of the Mission San Jose Guild.

Known for her caring, her kindness and her funny stories, Sister Mary Helen will be missed by many, sisters, family and friends alike. She stayed in close contact with her family and continued the friendships she made in her work with the Development Department and the MSJ Guild long after her retirement.

When she was no longer assigned to active ministry, she had a thriving ministry of lunches and phone calls, and asking for prayers for people she knew who were sick or troubled.

Sister Mary Helen's funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2 pm in the Sisters’ Oratory; burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma on Thursday, Dec. 14, 11 am.