Please join us in honoring the memory of Sr. Barbara Rose Schamber, who passed peacefully on March 23, 2025. Sr. Barbara was a friend and supporter of Catholic Community Services and the Archdiocesan Housing Authority for many decades. Her vigil and funeral are scheduled to take place on April 11 & 12 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.
Sr. Barbara’s early life set the foundation for her 62 years of service to others. Sr. Barbara attended Catholic schools throughout her childhood and her call to enter the Sisters of Providence unfolded during her years at Providence High School. She joined 22 other women as postulants in 1961.
Sr. Barbara spent many years teaching young children at Holy Family School in White Center, St. Joseph School in Vancouver, and St. Finbar School in Burbank, CA. She also served as Principal of Providence Montessori School in Portland, Oregon. In August 1985, Sister Barbara was called by the Sisters of Sacred Heart Province to serve as provincial superior, and she also served on the leadership team that oversaw the merger of two provinces into the Mother Joseph Province in 2000. In 2010, Sr. Barbara participated as a sponsor in the formation of Providence Ministries.
Sr. Barbara was involved with CCS, AHA and the Catholic Charities Foundation for over 45 years. She served on the Boards of Trustees for CCS and AHA for decades. She was an active participant in the many Catholic Advocacy Days held over the years in Olympia, advocating for compassionate policies for those struggling with poverty and injustice. She also served as a speaker for many CCS appeals, and most recently was serving as a trustee on the Catholic Charities Foundation Board of Trustees.
Sr. Barbara modeled a devotion to caring for those encountering struggles in their lives due to poverty and injustice. Her community shared that she was highly supportive of “quality education at every level… and showed immense care and interest in everyone she met.” We will greatly miss Sr. Barbara’s big smile, ready laugh, and generosity of spirit. Her love of God and joy in her Catholic faith can best be summed up in her own words:
“We all experience Providence in different ways,” she says, “but as people of faith we can see every day how God is present in our lives and our response is one of gratitude to God.”
Join us in this time of gratitude and reflection for Sister Barbara who left a legacy of love for all. We trust she is resting peacefully.