Sister Cecilia Rodriguez was born in Houston, TX on November 22, 1950 to Antonio Rodriguez and Lucia Fernandez Rodriguez and passed away on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at the age of 68 after a courageous battle with cancer.  She was a Sister of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for 49 years.  As she lived out her mission she ministered as a teacher at Mount Sacred Heart School in San Antonio, parish schools in Del Rio, Houston, TX and Lima, Peru.  She also served on the leadership team from 1985-1989 and as Provincial Superior of the Texas province from 2005-2013.  She worked with the Archdiocese of San Antonio as Director of Pastoral Ministries.   She also served her Congregation in Quezon City, Philippines accompanying young sisters from Africa and Papua, New Guinea who were pursuing their spiritual formation and offered spiritual accompaniment to the seminarians of the Society of African Missions.

Cecilia had the gift of posing questions and was never satisfied with things as they were with no one questioning "why".  She enthusiastically pursued the answers to the endless questions that inhabited her.  She had a great sense of adventure always wanting to go off the beaten path to find new wonders and experiences while being awed by God's creation.  She also befriended many people and touched them with her care, concern and love.  Like our foundress, people left her presence touched by God's tenderness and mercy.  She was always renewed and re-energized by the encounters she had with all those she would meet.  She was very committed to the younger members of our Congregation that they may have the opportunity to expand their global experience, develop their unique personalities and come to love and appreciate ever more their belonging to an international religious Congregation.

She was an Extraordinary Ministry of Communion, a Minister of Communion to the Homebound, a member of the Guadalupanos at Holy Spirit Catholic Church and a volunteer with the Catholic Charities Food Pantry.  She served on the Board of Assumption Seminary, and on the Strategic Planning Committees at both Mount Sacred Heart School and Holy Spirit Catholic School. She also served in leadership positions for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Region XII and Intercongregational Leadership Group of San Antonio.

She is preceded in death by her parents Antonio and Lucia Rodriguez.  She is survived by her sisters Ann Rodriguez and Margaret Casas and her two brothers, Tony Rodriguez and Raymond Rodriguez all of Houston, TX and by numerous nieces and nephews.  She is also survived by her religious community the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Rosary will be on Friday, June 7 ^th at 7:00 p.m. at the Angelus Funeral Home, 1119 North St. Mary's Street, San Antonio, TX.  The Mass of the Resurrection will be on Saturday, June 8 ^th at 10:00 a.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 8134 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX.  The celebrant will be the Most Reverend Bishop Oscar Cantu, Bishop of the Diocese of San Jose, California.  Burial will take place in the cemetery of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus following the Mass.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Heart-to-Heart Fund of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.