Sister Catherine McNamee, who served as president of the College of St. Catherine (the previous name of St. Catherine University) and Trustee Emerita, has passed away, a release on the university's website reported.

McNamee was a constant example of a lover of Christ and others, encouraging those around her in their faith and education.

McNamee helped to implement the Un Primer Paso program, which helped to bring in Hispanic students and build a thriving student body that was diverse in its culture.

She also helped the school after her tenure by serving as a professor in the area of Multicultural Perspectives from 2006-2008, and was on the board of trustees from 2013-2019 and Trustee Emerita since 2019.

“Through her personal example, Sr. Catherine embodied the university values of social justice, inclusion and diversity; with her dedication to international service as well as her strong commitment to broadening and deepening diverse experiences and multicultural connections with others,” the release said.

In 2012, a scholarship was set up in McNamee’s name, the Catherine T. McNamee International Student Scholarship, which helps international students and is dedicated to social justice on a global scale.

McNamee also worked with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and served on the boards of national and international organizations, such as the National Catholic Educational Association, the International Organization of Catholic Education and the U.S. Catholic China Bureau, to name a few.

McNamee was the president of the college from 1979 to 1984. She passed away on Aug. 30, 2020.

“Sr. Catherine was a leader in the truest sense of the word,” ReBecca Koenig Roloff, president of the university, said. “Her curiosity and drive to learn and share what she knew ultimately helped elevate both the local and national visibility of St. Catherine. She gave us the gift of servant leadership in action.”