Age 90
Sister Mary Martina served as a compassionate, tender, merciful heart of Jesus for all God’s people.
One of eight children, Sister Martina grew up experiencing the give-and-take of family life and enjoying the benefits of her close-knit South Philly neighborhood. She quickly became the heart of her community, caring for, protecting, and defending her siblings and neighbors. Martina loved her Irish heritage and her education at St. Monica School, where she attended through high school and completed a commercial degree.
Responding to the call to religious life, Martina entered the Sisters of Mercy in Merion, Pennsylvania, at the age of 27. As the senior member of her band of sisters, she is fondly remembered for her sense of humor, kindness, and easy-going nature.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Gwynedd-Mercy College in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in education from teaching students in grades two through eight at local parish- and mercy-sponsored schools, where her compassion and love for children were treasured gifts among students, staff, and families.
Martina possessed a mother’s heart, filled with love and compassion for those who suffered any sorrow or loss. Following Mary, the Mother of God, as her model, Martina cradled the orphan under her protective wing, encircling the lonely, the elderly, the forgotten, and the frightened in the arms of her maternal love. Her 16-year-ministry of pastoral care to the elderly and infirm at St. Dorothy Parish in Drexel Hill. Pennsylvania, and McAuley Convent in Merion, Pennsylvania, brought the mercy of Jesus into the lives of many, who remember her care with deep gratitude and love.