Sister Joan Bastress, I.H.M., served in multiple ministries in Archdiocese of Baltimore July 9, 2026By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Obituaries A funeral Mass for Sister Joan Bastress, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, will be offered at 11 a.m. on July 10 at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Dunmore, Pa.. Sister Joan died July 3. She was 92. Born in Baltimore, Sister Joan was one of five children in her family, including the late Monsignor Arthur Bastress, longtime pastor of St. Alphonsus in Baltimore. She entered the Order of the Discalced Carmelites in Brooklyn, NY, on Oct.. 19, 1952, made temporary profession of her vows on July 12, 1954, and final profession of her vows on June 10, 1957. As a Carmelite, she was known as Sister Therese Joseph of the Sorrowful Mother. She joined the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Scranton on June 19, 1975. Sister Joan held a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Marywood College in Scranton and a master’s degree systematic theology from St. Bonaventure University in New York. In the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Sister Joan served at St. John the Evangelist in Frederick (1983-89), St. John the Evangelist in Columbia (1989-92), Our Lady of Good Counsel in Baltimore (1992-94), St. Jerome in Baltimore (1994-98), St. Joseph in Sykesville (1998-2001) and St. Charles in Pikesville (2001-03). Sister Joan also served as administrator of pastoral services at the School Sisters of Notre Dame Motherhouse in Towson (2004-06) and as a pastoral aide at Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore (2006-07). She was a volunteer at Stella Maris Hospice in Timonium (2006-07) and a pastoral minister at Good Samaritan Nursing Center in Baltimore (2008-17). Elsewhere, she served in Pennsylvania and New York. More obituaries Deacon Wayne Matthews, longtime church leader and scientist, dies at 81 Betty Contino, a giant in empowering Baltimore’s Catholic school students, dies at 81 Sister Marian Joseph Baird, R.S.M., dies at 87 Mary Pat Stoval, longtime archdiocesan fiscal services director, dies at 67 Sister Mary Laurentilla Back, S.S.N.D., dies at 93 Sister Maria Soledad Gutierrez dies at 101 Copyright © 2026 Catholic Review Media Print
