Age 101
Sister Catherine embraced her vowed commitment to God, offering a quiet, exemplary witness to her faith to all she encountered. Her example of goodness, compassion, and merciful service, all “centered in prayer,” is her gift given and received over 101 years.
Born in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania, Catherine enjoyed a happy life in the small, quiet town in Northeastern Pennsylvania, known for its strong sense of community. She attended St. Joseph Elementary School in Summit Hill, where she first met the Sisters of Mercy and the seeds of her Catholic faith and her religious vocation were sown.
Catherine began her journey in mercy by entering the Sisters of Mercy in Merion, Pennsylvania, at the age of 22. At her reception, Catherine chose “Lord, increase my faith” as her lifelong motto. As the senior member of her infamous “band of 21” sisters, Catherine is fondly remembered for taking her role seriously, keeping the younger members “in line” and always encouraging them to aim higher.
She began her ministry of mercy as an elementary school teacher and principal, serving in schools in Allentown, Nesquehoning, Philadelphia, Summit Hill, all in Pennsylvania, and Hapeville, Georgia. She also taught religion at Little Flower and St. Hubert High School, nurturing the faith of many teenage girls in Philadelphia.
Her gifts of faith and deep spirituality were recognized by the community leadership, resulting in her appointment as mistress of novices from 1965 to 1971. Respected and loved by six bands of aspiring young women, Catherine taught them to be Sisters of Mercy through her example of fidelity, humility, and prayerfulness. Known for her many innovative projects, Catherine kept her novices engaged in serving others, learning new skills, and growing in the spirit of mercy.
Her life of ministry encompassed many additional roles and locations. She held various positions at Gwynedd-Mercy College, in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, including director of residents, faculty member, and director of the evening and summer divisions. She also served as Mercy Corps leader, director of sisters’ education, and local coordinator for the Convent of Mercy in Merion, Pennsylvania, and St. Mary Convent in Philadelphia. Her final years of active ministry were devoted to spiritual and pastoral care at Fitzgerald Mercy Hospital in Darby, Pennsylvania, the Convent of Mercy, and McAuley Convent, both in Merion, Pennsylvania.