Age 66
Sister Mary Paula ministered in a variety of ways with an inquiring mind and flexibility which allowed her to readily learn skills and adapt to diverse situations.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Towson State University, Towson, Maryland, and a master’s degree in chemistry from St. Joseph College in Hartford, Connecticut. A Mercy associate for several years before she entered the Sisters of Mercy, she became a member of one of the first Institute “Collaborative Novitiates,” living in St. Louis, Missouri, with sisters from across the United States. She was the recipient of a Knott Scholarship which enabled her to earn a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership at Notre Dame College of Maryland University in Baltimore, Maryland.
Paula served as an educator at Towson Catholic High School in Baltimore, Maryland, St. Vincent’s Academy in Savannah, Georgia, and as the director of aftercare at Marian House in Baltimore, Maryland. Working in financial administration, she even developed a “virtual office,” handling financial matters for schools on the west coast while living in Georgia. In Savannah, she worked at St. Mary’s Community Center. She also used her financial skills at Seton Keough High School; Caroline Center, a workforce development ministry for women; and at The Villa, a Mercy-sponsored retirement center for members of religious communities, all in Baltimore.
Paula was always interested in multicultural activities and travel. She participated in a mission trip to El Salvador, traveled to Honduras to learn Spanish and spent a year in Guyana teaching chemistry for nurses and working in hospital finance at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. While facing serious illness, Sister Paula was courageous and practical, balancing decisions about therapy and quality of life. Her attitude was positive even when the news she had to deal with was discouraging.