Age 102
The daughter of German immigrants, one of seven children, Sister Mary Albertus lived to be 102. She grew up on a farm in Meridale, New York, a fact she credited with instilling a deep appreciation and reverence for the glory of God reflected in nature.
She entered the Sisters of Mercy in Albany, New York, at the age of 18. Sister Albertus earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, and a master’s degree in history from Siena College in Loudonville, New York. For over fifty years, she taught at numerous schools in the Albany Diocese.
From the classroom, Albertus transitioned smoothly to ministry at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, New York. Her responsibilities included mailroom worker, data entry operator, transporter, and minister of prayer and presence.
Albertus enjoyed memorizing poems, humorous and profound, some of which she was still able to recite in her old age. An excellent seamstress, she graciously assisted sisters with sewing projects, much to the delight and relief of those not so gifted. She possessed an even disposition, marked by the ability to make others laugh and to laugh at herself.
Despite her advanced age and failing memory, she remained a blessing to those who met her, including her devoted caregivers at St. Peter’s Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Albany, New York. She thought of herself as a wayfarer, a pilgrim on a journey back to God.