Catherine Dolores was born on September 11, 1907, in Belleville, Illinois. She was the fifth of ten children born to Adolph and Catherine (Hasenstab) Noser. One brother, Adolph, became a missionary bishop in New Guinea. One sister entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame in St. Louis, while yet another, Sister Mary Tharsilla, entered at Clyde. In her own words, she related, “I think we owe the vocations in our family to our life of prayer in the family. We always went to daily mass. We never knew a time when we didn’t go to mass. We owed it to that and the daily family rosary.”

The family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, for a short time, as her father was transferred there for work. It did not turn out as they expected, and the company paid their way back to Belleville. Her father worked in the stove foundry, walking about a mile to work and carrying his lunch in a small bucket. Sister M. Paschalia recalled, “Mama always tried to have a good hot supper ready when he got home, and we all gathered around the table for our meals, praying aloud before and after the meal together, no one ever left table before we prayed together.”

Catherine went as far as the eighth grade, and then her mother became ill. She stayed at home and took care of her. She wrote, “I really never thought of anything besides being a religious. First the Bishop left and then my two sisters left and I felt I was the next one. As soon as I was sixteen I made my plans.” The Sisters at her school were encouraging her to enter their community, believing that this would be the best use of her talents. She had planned a visit to Clyde to say good-bye to Sister M. Tharsilla before she left for the convent. 

She recounted, “As I knelt in the Adoration Chapel for Benediction one afternoon, our Lord made it very clear to me, ‘This is where I want you.’ I did not have the least doubt about my vocation from that moment.” She spoke to Mother M. Dolorosa and asked her if she would let her come in September, when she would turn sixteen. Returning home, she told her parents, and they were both willing to let her go in September. Mother M. Dolorosa granted the permission, and Catherine entered on September 15, 1923. receiving the name Sister Mary Paschalia.  She made her final commitment on August 22, 1931 her brother gave the homily on that day.

Of her early years, Sister M. Paschalia wrote, “It didn’t make any difference to me what I did...kitchen, scrubbing floors or whatever.” This generous and open attitude was to be her life’s response to all that was asked of her. She served our community at Clyde, Mundelein, San Diego and St. Louis, working in various capacities, as portress, bookkeeper, and vestrarian. She said, “I had never had training for bookkeeping. What I learned I learned in community. Same with music.” In Mundelein, she learned to play the organ, and was organist and choir directress. She played the organ for thirty-five years. “There was one song that we sang in a major tone but it was written in a minor tone. For years no one realized it-- until I was unable to make it sound the way we were singing.” Sister M. Paschalia was also appointed as sub-prioress in Tucson and as prioress in San Diego, where she served for two three-year terms.

Sister suffered a severe stroke in 1983. She was brought to St. Benedict Health Care Center in St. Louis. Although she made some progress in speech and mobility, she still needed to use a wheelchair throughout her remaining years. This diminishment was to prove to be her greatest challenge and cross. Sisters remember her for her abundant energy, fidelity, and perseverance. A few months before her death, she celebrated her 75th anniversary of monastic profession.

Sister M Paschalia was among our senior sisters who made the move to Our Lady of Rickenbach when our St. Louis monastery was closed. She was the first one among these pioneers to pave the way to heaven on November 27. The Mass of Christian burial was celebrated in the Clyde Monastery Chapel on November 29, 2001, with burial in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.