Age 86
Sister Marie served those who hungered for spirituality and a deeper relationship with God and cherished the opportunity to help shape the faith lives of young people.
Deeply impressed and inspired by the dedication of the Sisters of Mercy in her grade school and high school, Marie chose to follow their example and, upon graduating from high school, entered the Sisters of Mercy in Watchung, New Jersey, at the age of 17.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey, and a master’s degree in religious education from Boston College in Boston, Massachusetts.
Sister Marie began her teaching ministry in the primary grades at Sacred Heart School in South Plainfield, New Jersey. Two years later, she moved to St. Francis School in Metuchen, New Jersey, where she served faithfully for the next eight years. In 1969, she joined the faculty at St. James School in Red Bank, New Jersey, teaching in both the primary and intermediate grades until her appointment as assistant principal and religion coordinator in 1972.
A later move to St. Joseph School in Keyport, New Jersey, brought her to the junior high level and marked the beginning of her gradual transition into religious education. After a year of study at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey, Sister Marie was named sacramental coordinator for the Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey, and subsequently became the director of religious education at St. Matthew School in Edison, New Jersey. In 1992, she accepted the role of religion coordinator and later parish religious education director at St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Piscataway, New Jersey. Her ministry continued to evolve with a new position at Holy Family Parish in Union Beach, New Jersey, in 1994 and another two years later at St. James Parish in Woodbridge, New Jersey, where she devoted herself to the parish for 23 deeply fulfilling years.
Deeply engaged in the life of her community, Marie gave generously of her time and spirit. And when she wasn’t devoted to her ministries, she delighted in crossword puzzles and cross-stitch and kept a thoughtful eye on the world through her passion for social justice and current events.