Age 95
A truly valiant woman of mercy, Sister Antoinette, a lifelong educator, clothed our world with kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Born in Pietracamela, a small town in Italy, Antoinette immigrated to the United States when she was nine years old and first met the Sisters of Mercy at St. Malachy elementary school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Hallahan High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the Sisters of Mercy further nurtured and inspired her, she joined the community in Merion, Pennsylvania, at the age of 21.
She held a bachelor’s degree in humanities from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in art from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After teaching elementary school for three years, she taught secondary school in Philadelphia for more than four decades.
For 20 of those years, she taught at her beloved Roman Catholic High School where she enriched the lives of her students with her multiple areas of competency, including art, Latin, French, English, religion, and home economics. Her expert skills as a seamstress were evident in her creation of the magnificent banners marking the 150th Anniversary of Mercy service in Philadelphia. Among her treasures, Antoinette kept a list of the names of all the children she taught totaling an amazing count of 9,875 students.
In her final years, Antoinette lovingly served the sisters at McAuley Convent, in Merion, Pennsylvania, never seeking recognition or reward for the numerous kindnesses bestowed on anyone in need.