ATCHISON — Sister Thomasita Homan, OSB, 88, a Benedictine Sister of Mount St. Scholastica here, died Sept. 29 at the monastery.
She was born in Pawnee City, Nebraska, on Aug. 7, 1938, the second of eight children of Mary Veronica and Richard Homan, and given the name Judith.
After attending Mount St. Scholastica Academy in Atchison, she entered the monastery in 1956 and made her lifetime profession in 1961, taking the religious name Thomasita. She taught in elementary schools in Iowa, Colorado, Missouri and Kansas for 19 years.
After earning her master’s degree in English at Iowa State University, she taught English at Benedictine College in Atchison and was director of alumni relations and of campus ministry there. In addition, she served several years directing Sisters in initial formation at Mount St. Scholastica and as director for lay oblates.
Travel was a delight for Sister Thomasita, especially the month visiting her brother in Jordan and her trips to Israel, Syria, Pakistan, Italy and Ireland. These travels also influenced her poetry and other writing.
As a close friend of Wangari Maathai, a graduate of Mount St. Scholastica College (later Benedictine College), she had the honor of attending the ceremony in Norway when Wangari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
