SISTER M. JOYELLE PROOT, Baptized into the Hope of Christ’s Resurrection on Friday Oct. 31, 2025.
The oldest of three children was born to Kathryn (Dougherty) and Harold Proot on March 23, 1946, in St. Louis, Missouri. She was baptized on April 7, 1946, at Resurrection Church and named Judy Ann. Two younger brothers, Joseph and Kevin, were born into the Proot family.
Judy attended St. Martin of Tours Grade School and Rosati-Kain High School, both of which were staffed by School Sisters of Notre Dame. (SSND). While she participated in many of the high school activities, her greatest discovery was her attraction to art. During the summer of her junior year, she was a swimming instructor of preschoolers for the St. Louis Parks and Recreation Department. In the summer of her senior year, she was a clerical staff member at the First National Bank in St. Louis.
She felt a call to religious life and was drawn to SSND by the joy and commitment of her teachers and mentors. She entered the candidature at Sancta Maria in Ripa on August 23, 1964. She and her classmates were received into the novitiate on July 29, 1965, at the St. Louis Cathedral (now Cathedral Basilica). She was given the name M. Joyelle. She pronounced first vows on July 30, 1966, and final vows on July 30, 1971.
Sister Joyelle was granted a bachelor’s degree in art from the former Notre Dame College, St. Louis, Missouri in 1968. She continued her education at Arrowmont School of Art and Crafts, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and the Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore, Maryland.
Sister Joyelle was a high school teacher for two years at St. Francis de Sales High School and for eight years at Notre Dame High School, St. Louis, MO. She served in research at Maria Center on the campus of Sancta Maria in Ripa for three years and then served as a co-director providing adult education opportunities for 13 years. She was an administrator for early childhood education at Hope Center Preschool in St. Louis for one year before ministering at Most Holy Trinity Parish in St. Louis. During her 13 years at Most Holy Trinity, she served in a variety of ways: ministering to families, pastoral associate and associate principal of the elementary school. In 2005, she became a member of the Futuring SSND Charism Team for the former St. Louis Province. In 2012, she began to serve as a designer and artist for the Design for Spirituality and Charism ministry of SSND.
In mid-October 2025, her health condition declined significantly and she was hospitalized. In late October, she entered hospice care at deGreef Hospice House, St. Louis, MO. She passed peacefully in the afternoon of October 31, 2025, surrounded by her brother, friends and SSND community members.
During her years of ministry, Sister Joyelle developed numerous workshops, designed many exhibits, program covers, prayer cards, greeting cards, etc. She used her artistic gift to enhance province and individual celebrations and liturgies. May she now rejoice in the arms of her loving God!
Services: Funeral mass will be held on Friday Nov., 7th at Theresa Center Chapel, 320 E. Ripa Ave., 63125, at 11:15am. Visitation will begin at 9:30am with sharing of memories at 10:30am. Interment immediately following at Sancta Maria in Ripa Cemetery. Contributions may be made to School Sisters of Notre Dame.
A Service of Kutis City Chapel, 2906 Gravois Ave., 63118.
Services will be lived streamed at: http://www.ssndcp.org/live/smr