Sister Marie Madeleine Shonka, 99, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) for 77 years, died on April 25, 2025. The third of the five children of Edward Frank and Clara Henrietta (née Wragge) Shonka, she was born in Chappell, Nebraska, on Dec. 30, 1925. Baptized Joan Clara, she grew up in a loving family that instilled in her values of faith, family, and service.
Sister Marie Madeleine joined the Cadet Nursing Program at Saint Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in Denver in 1944. She earned her RN from Providence Hospital School of Nursing in Kansas City, Kansas, in 1947. Having encountered the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth at Saint Joseph and Providence Hospitals and feeling called to a life of service to God and God’s people through the healing ministry, she entered religious life on Feb. 11, 1948. It was on habit day that she took the name Sister Marie Madeleine. She completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing education at Saint Mary College in 1954 and her master’s degree in hospital administration from Saint Louis University in 1968.
Sister Marie Madeleine ministered in healthcare from 1950 until 2009, spending her first years as a nurse at Saint Francis Hospital in Topeka, Kansas. After graduating from Saint Mary College, she became a nursing instructor in Kansas, Montana, and Colorado, eventually becoming the Saint Joseph Hospital School of Nursing director. In 1965, she moved from nursing school administrator to hospital administrator. She served as an assistant administrator in hospitals in Denver, Colorado; Youngstown, Ohio; and eventually, at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California, where she ministered from 1968 until 2009.
Saint John’s Hospital and Health Center became her longest ministry, where she served as President/CEO at a critical time in the hospital’s history. On January 17, 1994, the Northridge earthquake severely damaged Saint John’s, closing the hospital for months. Some feared this would be the end of the hospital, but Sister never gave up hope, leading the staff and fundraising efforts to rebuild, modernize, and prepare for the future of healthcare. Sister Marie Madeleine had a way of inspiring others and bringing out the best in them.
Always having a heart for the marginalized, Sister Marie Madeleine’s care and concern went beyond hospital doors. At Saint John’s, she sent mental health professionals to homeless communities and provided free lab and X-ray services at Saint John’s for patients with financial needs from the Venice Family Clinic. After her retirement from Saint John’s, she served as food pantry manager at Seton Center in Kansas City, Missouri, for 10 years.
If there was work to be done, Sister Marie Madeleine did it. As a nurse, Sister Marie Madeliene was attentive, caring, and kind, attuned to both the physical and spiritual needs of the patients entrusted to her care. As she served in the various healthcare ministries throughout her lifetime, Sister always took time to visit with doctors, nurses, families, patients, and all employees. Respected, admired, and beloved by all, she was a constant reminder of God’s healing love and active presence in the world.
Preceding Sister Marie Madeleine in death were her parents, her sister, C. Jean Shonka, her brothers Thomas E. Shonka, Edward Jason Shonka, and Joseph Sindelar. Survivors include nieces and nephews and the SCL Community.
A vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 12, 2025, in Ross Chapel, SCL Mother House, Leavenworth. The Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, also in Ross Chapel. Interment will follow in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Mother House grounds.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth, KS 66048.
