ALFLEN, OP Sister Laurena, (Rose Mary) of Grand Rapids was called to God on April 18, 2026, at the age of 93, after 75 years of faithful Dominican religious life.
Sister Laurena was born June 13, 1932, in Melvindale, Michigan. The fifth of ten children in the Alflen family. Named Rose Mary at her baptism after her maternal grandmother, she grew up during the Great Depression in a loving, resilient household that valued faith, creativity, and hard work. Despite limited means, the family embraced life fully. A safely moved, five‑dollar piano became an early and treasured influence, nurturing Rose Mary’s lifelong love of music.
As a child, Rose Mary excelled in school and frequently played piano for church services. Although she once imagined becoming a stewardess or interior decorator, she discerned a call to religious life while still in seventh grade. In 1946, she entered the aspirancy at Marywood and later began studies at Aquinas College. At her reception into the novitiate, she was given the name Laurena, honoring her mother, which she retained throughout her life.
Following profession, Sister Laurena taught music in parish schools throughout Michigan. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Aquinas College, a master’s degree from DePaul University, and pursued additional studies at VanderCook College of Music, the University of Michigan, and Westminster College. In 1977, she joined the faculty of Aquinas College’s Music Department, where she was instrumental in developing programs such as the Valenti Handbell Choir and an innovative electronic piano lab.
Deeply committed to liturgy, Sister Laurena pursued formal studies at the University of Notre Dame and served as pastoral associate and liturgist in Oregon and Michigan. She later returned to Marywood as liturgical musician.
Creative, compassionate, and thoughtful, Sister Laurena expressed herself through music, storytelling, poetry, and later, painting. She valued the gift of community, bringing people together for games, meals, lively conversation, shared stories, and laughter. She was also a founding member of the Women in Black movement in Grand Rapids.
Grounded in faith through joy and sorrow, Sister Laurena’s life was a blessing to many. She will be deeply missed.
Sr. Laurena Alflen’s service will be held at Marywood Chapel of the Word, 111 Lakeside Dr. NE, with a Remembering Service on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 9:00 am and a funeral Mass to follow at 10:30 am. Memorials in Sr. Laurena’s name may be made to the Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters.