Dear LMU Community:
I am saddened to share that Joanna Carroll, C.S.J., who served for 23 years as LMU’s campus minister for Spiritual Direction, passed away Oct. 24, 2025, after a long illness. In her capacity as campus minister, Sister Joanna touched the lives of thousands, offering guidance, comfort, and a loving connection. She was 73 years old.
On the occasion of Sister Joanna’s retirement in January 2022, John Sebastian, Ph.D., senior vice president of Mission, said that one of Sister Joanna’s many gifts was seeing the divine in everyone she met. “I always feel better about myself after I spend a moment with Sister Jo. She sees me the way I wish I could see myself,” said Sebastian. “Sister Joanna is the heart of Campus Ministry and represents the best of our spiritual traditions.”
Sister Joanna grew up as one of six children in Compton, California, where she attended Our Lady of Victory Elementary School, where Sister Judith Royer, C.S.J. was her teacher. After graduating from Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles with her B.A. in child development, she joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.
With two decades of service in Catholic elementary schools, her ministry included roles as a teacher, vice principal, and religion program director for music ministry. Continuing her own education, Sister Joanna went back to school and earned a certification from the Institute of Religious Formation at St. Louis University and a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University Chicago. She served as a vocational director for the Sisters of St. Joseph before transitioning into spiritual direction ministry at LMU.
Sister Joanna underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery in recent years to fight cancer. She expressed gratitude for the love and support she received from the LMU community.
Mass of the Resurrection will take place in the CSJ Sacred Heart Chapel in Orange on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch and burial at 1:30 p.m. at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Orange. Memorial Mass for Sister Joanna will be celebrated in LMU’s Sacred Heart Chapel on Saturday, Nov. 22, St. Cecilia’s Feast Day, at 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to the CSJ Center for Reconciliation and Justice in her memory.
Please keep Sister Joanna, her family, friends, the many LMU students, alumni, and colleagues who benefited from her wise counsel, and her C.S.J. sisters in your thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Thomas Poon, Ph.D.
President and Professor of Chemistry
