Sister Madonna Sangalli, CDP
October 5, 1934 – January 24, 2021
Sister Madonna Sangalli, CDP, entered eternal life on Sunday, January 24, 2021 at the age of 86. She was born on October 5, 1934, in Texarkana, Arkansas. Her parents Bennie William and Mary (Wolk) Sangalli named her Barbara Jean at her baptism. She grew up in the Westside of San Antonio and was part of the first graduating class of Providence High School, a sponsored institution of the Congregation she would soon enter. She answered God’s call to become a Sister of Divine Providence (CDP) on September 7, 1952 and professed first vows on June 22, 1955. She was a teacher during the first four years of her religious ministry. She spent the majority of her life as a business/financial professional who used her gifts, talents and insight with financial matters and business administration.
Sister Madonna earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, Texas. She was the business office manager of two hospitals: St. Ann’s Hospital in Abilene, Texas and Floresville Memorial Hospital in Floresville, Texas . Over a span of 40 years she served her Congregation in various roles: as the Congregational Treasurer, as a General Councilor on the leadership team, as Community Coordinator and as the Director of the Congregation’s Finance Office. In between this span, 1980’s to early 1990’s, she pursued the ministry of applied theology and earned her certification in Clinical Pastoral Education to serve as a Chaplain in Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina.
Sister Madonna’s greatest gift was the ability to bring warmth and create a relationship with the faces behind the numbers. She would embed the CDP’s mission of Jesus by connecting the congregation with sustainable and just partners during her administrative and financial role with the Congregation. Her Congregation had the ultimate faith in her ability to protect the corpus of monies whose sole purpose is the care of the elderly and infirm sisters. Thus, she was chosen to be the first trustee of the Providence Trust. She also served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Our Lady of the Lake University for ten years. Her simple, calm, quiet demeanor were reflections of her certainty of God’s constant ever-present love for her and each one of us.
She is survived by her sister-in-law, Marcelle Sangalli, and all her Sisters of Divine Providence. She is also survived by her niece, nephews, and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents Bennie William and Mary Sangalli and siblings: Catherine (Mario) Costantino, Benjamin Sangalli and Alfred Sangalli.
A rosary and prayer service will be held on Thursday, January 28. A Mass of Resurrection and burial will take place on Friday, January 29. All services will be private.
In lieu of flowers, you may wish to make a memorial contribution to the Sisters of Divine Providence, 515 S.W. 24th Street, San Antonio, Texas 78207-4619.