Age 93
Sister Mary Mark McCarthy was a Sister of Mercy for 75 years. She entered the community in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in September 1947 and went on to earn degrees from Mercyhurst University and Gannon University, both in Erie, Pennsylvania. She also studied at the University of Maine, Orono, Maine, and Edinboro University in Pennsylvania.
Early on Sister Mary Mark taught in three Diocese of Erie elementary schools: St. Catherine of Siena in DuBois, St. Titus in Titusville, and St. Luke in Erie, where she was known by students to have “well-disciplined but fun-loving” classes. In later years, she was named principal of Ss. Cosmas and Damian in Punxsutawney, St. Thomas in Corry, St. Michael in Greenville, St. George in Erie and St. Patrick in Franklin.
For 20 years, Sister Mary Mark was religious education coordinator at St. Peter Cathedral Parish in Erie, along with duties as assistant house coordinator for her Erie Community.
In recognition of her years as an educator, the late Pope St. John Paul II bestowed on her the Papal Medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For Church and Pope).
Over the years, she has always expressed her love of being in the classroom and serving her community. In addition, one did not have to be with her for very long to learn of her great love for her Irish Heritage. Several of the hymns for her funeral liturgy were composed of lyrics set to Irish melodies…a true daughter of Catherine.