Ring motto:  My Jesus Mercy

Sister Mary Catherine Sobeck (formerly Sister Mary Julian), known to friends as a night person, slept peacefully into the arms of God at 2:45 a.m. on February 1, 2026 at Trinity Health Hospital, Livonia, Michigan.

Catherine Rose Sobeck was the second child—and only daughter—of 5 children born to Sylvester and Cecilia Netkowski Sobeck.  Born in Alpena, MI, she attended St. Ignatius Elementary and Rogers City High School, graduating in 1963 and entering the Sisters of Mercy of Detroit on the campus of Mercy College of Detroit (MCD) the following September.  She graduated from MCD and obtained her Master's in mathematics from Marquette University.

Sister Catherine's ministerial life included teaching at Immaculate Conception School, Traverse City, MI; St. Joseph School, Auburn, MI, and St. Casimir School, Posen, MI, where she later became Principal and Administrator.  She served as Provincial Treasurer from 1984-88, then continued to assist at the Regional Community Office.  From 1994-2008, she had several roles at McAuley Life Center, including driving disabled and elderly Sisters.  Having been an excellent math teacher, she later volunteered for years at Mercy Education Project in Detroit, using her love of math to tutor both girls and women.

Catherine loved sports and animals.  She often cared for the cats or dogs of Sisters or friends of the Community.  She was also an avid sports fan and warned friends not to call her during "her games."

Her dear friend Sister Naomi Holysko got to know Catherine when they worked together at the Community Office, where, at the end of a week, they sometimes went out for a burger and a movie.  Naomi often visited with Catherine and her family in Rogers City and wherever the brothers eventually moved.  Naomi was an only child, so Catherine's family asked if they could adopt her into their warm Polish family so Catherine would have a sister and Naomi would have some brothers.  Catherine also loved playing cards—but she didn't always win. In recent years, when she visited Naomi in Pinconning, she would say, "I brought all my quarters because you end up winning them all."

And Catherine, not least of all, was a woman of great faith.  She suffered several cancers and other physical challenges in the last decades of her life, but she would say to friends, "I talked to the Lord today and said I don't want to die yet." During the last days of January, God and Catherine must have had a different conversation.

Family and friends may gather to celebrate Sister Catherine's life at the Church of the Transfiguration, 25225 Code Road, Southfield, on Thursday, February 5th.  Visitation is planned for 8:30 - 9:30 am, the Mercy funeral rituals will be accorded at 9:30 am, and her funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:00 am ( click HERE for a livestream of the rituals and mass ).  A luncheon in the church social hall will immediately follow mass.  Concluding prayers in the chapel at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery are planned for 12:30 pm.

Memorial tributes are kindly suggested to the Sisters of Mercy, the Mercy Education Project, or St. Ignatius Catholic Church (memo: Sobeck Fund), 585 South Third Street, Rogers City, MI, 49779.