Sr. Linda Nicholson, longtime Catholic schools leader, called to eternal rest

Sister Linda Nicholson, a Sister of St. Joseph of St. Joseph of Carondelet who held several key positions of leadership in the Catholic schools of the diocese over 35 years of ministry, was called to eternal rest on May 21 at the age of 86. Sr. Linda served as a teacher and then principal of two Catholic schools in the diocese before moving into diocesan education and formation ministries. She came to the diocese in 1985 to serve as eighth grade teacher at Precious Blood School in Banning. Seven years later she was named principal of St. Mary Regional School in Apple Valley and during her tenure there was named a Distinguished Principal of the Year by the diocese. In 2001 she was named principal of Sacred Heart Academy in Redlands where she worked tirelessly to boost enrollment, foster academic achievement and strengthen Catholic identity.  She was named an Associate Superintendent in the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools in 2012, a post she held for five years. In 2017, Bishop Gerald Barnes asked Sr. Linda to lead a new ministry of Mission Integration, designed to help all Church employees live out and model their Catholic faith in their everyday work. Together with her longtime friend and companion, Sister Sara Kane, CSJ, Sr. Linda ended her years of active ministry in the diocese in 2020. Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord, and let Perpetual Light shine upon her.