December 4, 1943 – April 26, 2026

SISTER LORETTA TOPPER, SC, age 82, was called home to God on Sunday, April 26, 2026 in the 60th year of her religious life. Born in Hanover, Pennsylvania, on December 4, 1943, she entered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill on September 8, 1965, from St. Joseph Parish, Hanover, Pennsylvania.

Preceded in death by her parents, Vincent and Loretta A. (Brady) Topper; three sisters, Loretta Redding, Evelyn McGinity, and Frances Topper; and her brother, Monsignor Vincent Topper; she is survived by her sister, Judy (Thomas) McKim, as well as nieces and nephews.

Sister Loretta attended St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, for two years, where she first became acquainted with the life of Elizabeth Ann Seton.

Through her brother, Monsignor Vincent Topper, she was introduced to the Lay Apostolate and its work in Abbeville, Louisiana, where she taught African American children. It was there that she first encountered the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. Sister Harold Ann Jones served as her mentor, and Sister Mary Florence was the principal.

Inspired by her deep devotion to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, along with the charitable spirit and American traditions of the community, Sister Loretta felt a strong desire to enter the Sisters of Charity. Recognizing this as God’s call, she made plans to pursue religious life. In 1963, she had the great privilege of attending the beatification of Elizabeth Ann Seton in Rome.

Sister Loretta earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Seton Hill University and a master’s degree in mathematics education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She later obtained certification in administration from John Carroll University.

Well prepared for her ministry in education, she taught in diocesan schools in Greensburg and Pittsburgh, as well as in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. She often noted that her experience as a teacher provided a strong foundation for her later service as an elementary school principal.

Sister Loretta served as principal at Saint Edward School in Herminie, Resurrection School in Brookline, and Saint James School in Wilkinsburg.

After her years in education, Sister Loretta felt called to pastoral ministry. Recognizing this desire, she pursued studies at Duquesne University, where she earned certification in pastoral and parish ministry.

She ministered in this capacity at Saint Vincent de Paul Parish in Wheeling, West Virginia; Saint Bartholomew Parish in Penn Hills, Allegheny County; and the partner parishes in Connellsville. She also served as Director of Religious Education at Saint John the Baptist Parish in Perryopolis.

Sister Loretta was deeply grateful for her call to religious life and for the many ways she was able to serve the people of God. She carried out her ministries with great care and a profound awareness of God’s presence in her life.

When speaking of the ways she followed God’s call throughout her life, she would often say, “Each day is a challenge, filled with surprises from the Lord. I am never bored.”

The Sisters of Charity at Caritas Christi are grateful to the caring staff who attend to all the sisters and who accompanied Sister Loretta in her final days. May she now receive the fullness of God’s blessings in eternity as she joins St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the Company of Charity, and her loved ones. 

The funeral liturgy will be live-streamed; access through the link:  https://venue.streamspot.com/2af9e1eb