Sister Mary Joanne Wittenburg
(Formerly Sister Mary Ste. Thérèse)
November 27, 1940 – October 4, 2026
Professed August 16, 1961
Joanne Louise was the first daughter of Harry William and Florence Wittenburg, born on November 27, 1940. Over the next few years, Jim, Elayne and Bob, joined the family. Born and raised in Los Angeles, from an early age Sister Mary Joanne was interested in its culture and history, and always eager to share her knowledge with others. Sister Joanne’s childhood in Los Angeles awakened in her a love for southern California, travel, and history. Sister attended elementary and then high school with the Sisters of Notre Dame. She knew and loved many of California’s pioneer sisters who came from Cleveland, Ohio.
Graduating with a Masters’ degree in history and social studies from Loyola University, Sister taught in high school for several years. In 1987, her talent for history and research led her to the Education Foundation of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. She also had the opportunity to spend one year at Lviv Theological Seminary in Ukraine, teaching English to the seminarians. From 2002-2013, she served as Archivist for the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Even after moving to Thousand Oaks, Sister Mary Joanne continued to assist in this work. During her last days, Cardinal Roger Mahoney sent a special letter assuring the community of his prayers and thanking Sister for her contribution to the archdiocese.
Known for her published historical writing, Sister Joanne leaves a legacy of California memories. After writing House of Love, she wrote and published Spreading the Fire: the Story of the Sisters of Notre Dame in California 1924-2010. She co-authored The History of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, contributing especially to the chapter on the history of the parish elementary schools. Sister Mary Joanne provided background material about the saints for Sacred Material: The Art of the Tapestries of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Sister Mary Joanne spent hours scanning the letters and historical publications of the congregation for digital preservation. She meticulously kept the house annals for Notre Dame Center, oversaw the spiritual reading library, crocheted beautiful blankets, and visited the children of Notre Dame Learning Center Preschool. These words from her entrance autobiography set the stage for all that followed over more than 65 years. “I hope that as a Sister of Notre Dame my life may be one of complete surrender to God’s will and of service to his children.”
The Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Joanne will be celebrated on Saturday, October 24 at 10:30am at Notre Dame Center. Click here for the livestream link. Internment will follow at Assumption Cemetery in Simi Valley, CA. Memorial donations will be appreciated to the Sisters of Notre Dame, 1776 Hendrix Ave. Thousand Oaks CA 91360 or at www.sndusa.org/donateca.
