Sister Esther Hulin, 91, Dies

Sister Esther Hulin, a Sister of St. Joseph for 73 years, passed away at the Sisters of St. Joseph Convent in Baton Rouge on Sunday, Aug. 8, at age 91.  

She was born in Rayne to the late Patricia Louise Carter and Lenes Joseph Hulin Sr. and baptized Patricia Ann.  She is survived by her religious congregation, her sister-in-law Beverly Hulin and numerous nieces and nephews. 

Besides her parents she is pre-deceased by a sister, Catherine Hulin Read, and three brothers, Patrick, Joseph and Timothy.

Sister Esther graduated from Baton Rouge High School in 1948 and entered the novitiate of the Sisters of St. Joseph in New Orleans in September of that year.  She professed first vows in 1950 and perpetual vows in 1953.  

She graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master in Education from Xavier University in Cincinnati in 1970.  She earned a Master in Pastoral Studies at Loyola University in Chicago in 1985.  From 1983-84 Sister Esther participated in a sabbatical program in educational leadership at Gonzaga University.

Although Sister Esther was proud to be a public school graduate, she dedicated her life to Catholic education for 56 years.  She began teaching in 1950 at Our Lady of the Rosary in New Orleans followed by 20 years as an elementary school teacher at St. Joseph Parochial and Sacred Heart schools in Baton Rouge, St. Ignatius in Grand Coteau, Guardian Angels in Cincinnati and finally, St. Frances Cabrini in New Orleans. 

She taught two years at the high school level at McNicholas High School in Cincinnati and at O’Connell High School in Galveston, Texas.  She served in school administration for a total of 12 years at Sacred Heart School in Morgan City and St. Rita in Harahan. Her last 21 years were spent as principal at St. Alphonsus in Greenwell Springs.

Sister Esther retired in 2006 and moved to the Sisters of St. Joseph Center in Baton Rouge where she continued with keen interest in every new development in Catholic education on the local, state and national level whether by reading, following media stories or keeping in touch with many colleagues and students she had met and influenced during her career.  Her numerous health issues in her later years did not stop her from being determined to live life to the fullest.  

Special thanks to the staff at the center in Baton Rouge and to Amedisys Home Health for their loving care during Sister Esther’s final days.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated by Bishop  Emeritus Robert W. Muench Aug. 13 at St. Alphonsus Church.  Interment followed at Roselawn Memorial Park.  

Donations in Sister Esther’s memory may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph, 3134 Hundred Oaks Avenue, Baton Rouge, La. 70808.