In Loving Memory of Our Beloved Sister Bernadette

Sister Bernadette Beamsley, DLJC, entered into eternal life on March 11, 2026, at the age of 69, accompanied by the prayers and love of her Sisters of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

After more than forty years of religious life,
she now rejoices in the presence of the Lord whose name she faithfully proclaimed.

Sister Bernadette was born on November 15, 1956, in Omaha, Nebraska, and was named Nancy Ann by her beloved parents, Judson and Lorrayne Beamsley. Raised in a loving family, she grew up with a deep appreciation for faith and service to others. She attended the University of Illinois at the Medical Center of Chicago, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy. Sister Bernadette was working as an Occupational Therapist in South Elgin, Illinois, when she responded to the Lord’s call to religious life. In her younger years, she also worked as a lifeguard at the YMCA, taught swimming lessons, and participated in First Aid and CPR training.

At the age of 24, she entered the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ in Prayer Town on February 2, 1981. Upon entering the Community, she received the name Sister Bernadette, inspired by St. Bernadette of Lourdes. She professed her first vows on April 4, 1983, and joyfully gave her entire life to Jesus Christ through her perpetual vows on April 20, 1987.

At the heart of Sister Bernadette’s vocation was a profound call to evangelization. She had a deep love for proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ to everyone she encountered and never missed an opportunity to pray with someone for healing, hope, and renewed faith. Her service within the Community was marked by a deep trust in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Those who knew Sister Bernadette remember her joyful faith, her bold love for the Gospel, and her readiness to encourage others to encounter the living presence of Christ.

Sister Bernadette served the Community in many capacities throughout her years of religious life, including as the Community’s second Superior General from 1995 to 2001. She also served as a Council Member, Director of Formation, Director of Novices, and Local House Superior in Miami, Florida, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, among many other roles of leadership and service. Her missionary heart led her to evangelize in many parts of the world, including China, Poland, Uganda, and several other countries. She had a particular passion for forming the laity in their own call to evangelization, helping many people discover their mission in the Church.

In her later years, Sister Bernadette continued to serve the Lord through her prayer, encouragement, and steadfast faith. Her life remains a witness to the joy of giving oneself completely to Christ and to the mission of the Gospel.

Sister Bernadette is survived by her three siblings, Jeffrey Foster Beamsley and wife Teri, Suzanne Diane Chubinski, and James “Jim” Charles Beamsley and wife Susan, along with her many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews, and many extended family members. She is also lovingly remembered by her Sisters in the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the countless people whose lives were touched by her faith, her prayer, and her witness to the power of the Holy Spirit.

We thank God for the gift of Sister Bernadette’s life and vocation, and we rejoice in the promise that she now shares fully in the joy of the Lord whom she loved and served so faithfully.

A Vigil Service will be held on Friday, March 13, 2026, at Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, Prayer Town, Texas. The Vigil Service will begin at 4:00 p.m. with Holy Mass celebrated by Father Luis René López, followed by Vespers and the Holy Rosary at 4:30 p.m. The Vigil Service will conclude with visiting hours.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Mieczyslaw “Mitch” Przepiora on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, followed by burial in the Prayer Town Cemetery. Both services are open to the public.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Sister Bernadette to:

Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ
P.O. Box 64
Prayer Town, Texas 79010

May Sister Bernadette, and all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.