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Sister Sandra Williams, CSJ, ’70 was a cherished member of the Mount Saint Mary’s University community — a proud alumna, Mount Trustee, and guiding presence within the CSJ Institute. Her life and ministry reflected the very spirit of the Mount: faith in action, leadership through service, and hope rooted in compassion.

Born in Seattle on January 14, 1947, Sister Sandra was first drawn to religious life in third grade because, as she once said with a smile, “the habit was lovely.” Yet when she entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet at age 18, she became part of the first group of novices after Vatican II to make their first vows without the habit. Sister Sandra often laughed at this irony — a reminder of her joyful spirit and her gift for finding grace and meaning in every turn of life.

Though she spent her first 12 years of ministry teaching elementary school, Sister Sandra’s gift for leadership soon became clear. She was invited to work in the Diocese of Orange’s Office of Hispanic Ministry, where she helped develop a faith formation program for Spanish-speaking communities that became a model across the Diocese. Through this work, she was given the opportunity to attend language school in Mexico and Guatemala — a full-circle moment that affirmed her decision to major in Spanish at Mount Saint Mary’s. Reflecting on that path, she often said it was “the finger of God working” in her life.

While she found joy in her time with the Diocese, Sister Sandra noted that the “ministerial halcyon experience” of her life was working at St. Joseph’s parish in Santa Ana from 1991-2005. There, she worked to build an inclusive and vibrant community among English-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and Samoan congregation members. Helping people become empowered through their faith, and seeing growth in those she worked with, was especially fulfilling for her.

Sister Sandra also devoted three decades to Concern America, a global organization that trains local populations in Latin America in healthcare practices. She served as a staff member, assistant to the development director, and board member — work she described as “consonant with our charism, because it is one of empowerment.”

Her deep connection to the Mount never wavered. A proud alumna, Sister Sandra believed the University embodies the CSJ mission of preparing women to make a lasting difference in the world. “There is an intentionality about preparing women to make a difference in the world, and to make the kind of difference that we think is important [...] that makes the world more human, more humane, more loving, more compassionate, more just,” she once said.

In recognition of her decades of service, Sister Sandra served on the Mount’s Board of Trustees from 2014 to 2023 and was named Trustee Emerita in May 2025, just two months before her passing. She also offered her leadership and wisdom to the CSJ Institute, helping shape its strategic plan and champion its mission to keep the charism alive for generations to come. “Encountering students, faculty, and staff brought her great hope and joy,” said CSJ Institute senior director Shannon Green.

Her leadership extended well beyond the Mount. Sister was elected to the LA Province Leadership Team and served as the Liaison for Sponsored Ministries. She also sat on the Boards for the Academy of Our Lady of Peace, St. Mary’s Academy and Carondelet High School.

In 2020, she wrote a thoughtful essay titled “Ages of Joseph,” tracing the evolution of the CSJ charism across history. In this piece, Sr. Sandra proclaims that the charism, which has been entrusted to and nurtured by the sisters for hundreds of years, is flourishing in myriad ways today, particularly in their ministries. She believed that, despite the challenges of a changing world, “we have every reason for great hope.”

That sense of hope defined Sister Sandra’s life — a hope grounded in faith, enlivened by community, and sustained by service. She will be remembered for her wisdom, generosity, leadership and unwavering belief in the power of love to heal and transform the world.