Sr. Jean Sora, age 97 of the Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg, Indiana, died on December 26, 2022 at the convent. Born on May 4, 1925 in Middletown, Ohio, she was the tenth of eleven children born to Mary (Nee: Mottola) and John Sora. Jean grew up in Middletown, living above her father’s grocery store, which the family opened after immigrating from Naples, Italy.
Jean appreciated the sacrifices her parents made so she could have music lessons. Her life as a musician began in the second grade, at St. John the Baptist, when she started music lessons with Sister Carletta Siedling, who allowed her to play “Silent Night” for Christmas and it was then that Jean knew she wanted to be a Sister. All throughout school, music was Jean’s main interest. After high school, Jean earned a B.S. degree in music from Marian College in Indianapolis and completed an advanced study of piano with Madame Conus at the Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati.
Jean’s first teacher told her that “her music must always help people to pray better” motivating her greatly in her musical and spiritual vocation. Jean ministered through her music. She was organist and choir director at New Albany, Indiana and music teacher at St. Clement School in Cincinnati. A former student described Jean as a “confident, bold, assertive, sassy woman.”
As a Franciscan Sister, Jean worked as Parish Minister at St. John’s Parish in Middletown for 30 years. While playing the organ and directing the choir, she also ran bingos and saw that those in need got food and clothes when they came. In her free time, she visited shut-ins and started a “Young at Heart” club that met monthly. Jean noted that “It’s important people see a difference because we’re here.” And the people whose lives she touched would say they did.
As a dedicated Sister, Jean went beyond just playing music. She organized bands that played at the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day for several years and also played for John F. Kennedy and later Bob Hope when they each visited Cincinnati.
In May 1999, Jean was honored with the title of Religious of the Year for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the State of Ohio, by the Knights of Columbus, Ohio State Council, at its 100th annual convention. In June of 2003, Jean received the Mary McNulty Young Award for Distinguished Achievement in Community Service at the Marian College Association Ceremony.
She returned to Oldenburg for retirement in 2013. In her autobiography, Jean noted, “My treasure is the gold ring that I received from my Mother when she was dying. She said that she wanted me to have the ring so that I would always know that she was with me.”
She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she is also preceded in death by sisters Julia Gray, Anna Presta, Ida Marconi, Helen Sora, Margaret Stugmyer, Geraldine Brannon, Josephine Marconi and brothers Gerardo, Bernard, and Gerard Soro.
Visitation will be Wednesday, January 4, 2023 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. at the convent chapel. Funeral services follow at 11:00 a.m. with Fr. John Civille officiating and burial will be at the convent cemetery. For those unable to attend, services will be live-streamed at https://youtu.be/ieT4SlC0E0c. Memorials may be made to the Sisters of St. Francis, P.O. Box 100, Oldenburg, Indiana, 47036 (www.OldenburgFranciscans.org.) For online condolences go to www.weigelfh.com.