Sister Joan Tuberty's life journey included periods as a cloistered nun, a university professor, a spiritual director for a downtown Minneapolis church and a live-in counselor for a transitional housing program for the homeless.
An academic with a master's degree in psychiatric and nursing education, Tuberty carried her book learning to the inner city of Minneapolis where she worked for nearly 25 years. That included moving, while in her 70s, into a low-income residence owned by St. Olaf Catholic Church and staying 15 years.
Tuberty, 92, died June 26 following a stroke at St. Francis Convent in Little Falls, where she had lived since 2016.
"She was a loving presence of God in the heart of the city," said the Rev. John Forliti, a former pastor at St. Olaf where Tuberty worked as spiritual director for years. "She heard a lot of things that were heartbreaking, but wasn't rattled. She remained a calm presence."
"She broke the mold," said Joe Selvaggio, founder of Project for Pride in Living and a longtime friend. "She was an independent thinker. She could be on the streets and in the suites."
Tuberty was born Dec. 27, 1928, in Albert Lea, one of three children of James and Beulah Tuberty. She earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from the then-College of St. Catherine in St. Paul and her master's degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
She joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet community in St. Paul in 1948 and remained for 20 years, teaching nursing at St. Catherine's and the University of Minnesota. Seeking a contemplative life, she joined the Order of Saint Clare and lived as a cloistered nun at its Bloomington monastery from 1977 to 1986.
Tuberty then joined the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls religious community and built a life centered around St. Olaf, where she provided spiritual guidance to both the downtown professionals who attended weekday masses and the lower-income people who stopped in for coffee, conversation and support.
