Age 95
Music and singing were common expressions of joy within Sister Marise’s family, and she brought that same joy to her life as a Sister of Mercy.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sister Marise entered the Sisters of Mercy in Dallas, Pennsylvania, after high school graduation from York Catholic in York, Pennsylvania.
A graduate of College Misericordia (now Misericordia University) in Dallas, Pennsylvania, Sister Marise earned a degree in music. Subsequently, she pursued a master’s degree in music education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in education from Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts.
Sister Marise taught elementary school in the dioceses of Harrisburg, Scranton, Altoona, Pennsylvania and Rockville Center, New York. For three years she served as principal at
St. Francis Xavier School in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. For 12 years, she was the CCD coordinator for Queen of Peace parish in Hawley, Pennsylvania.
In 1986, she began serving at Catherine McAuley Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. With great passion and dedication, she served homeless women and children for three decades.
Music was one of Sister Marise’s greatest gifts and pleasures. She had a beautiful singing voice. which she shared through teaching, choir direction, and church celebrations.
All of Sister Marise’s life was centered in God and for the glory of God. Sister Marise had a beautiful relationship with God, so she described her death as the fulfillment of that relationship – “to be with the One who captured my heart.”