Age 93
Sister Valery was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After graduating from Mercy High School in 1945, she entered the Sisters of Mercy in Chicago, Illinois.
For nearly 20 years, Sister Valery taught at schools in Chicago, Skokie, Evergreen Park, Dundee, Park Ridge and Aurora, Illinois; Milwaukee; and Pleasant and Burlington, Iowa.
She also served with the Latin American Committee and as director of volunteers for Misericordia North, both in Chicago. In 1981, she began a housing internship and went on to serve for four years at the Chicago Housing Authority and then for Southwest Development Corp. and Mercy Properties, all in Chicago.
For several years, Sister Valery served in pastoral care at Oak Park Hospital, Mercy Rehab, in Chicago, and Our Lady of Angels Health Center in Wheaton, Illinois.
Beginning in 1998, Sister Valery served in several volunteer roles, including prison ministry as a Spanish translator. Her ministry of prayer at Mercy Circle and her assistance in Mercy Chapel were so appreciated.
Sister June Anselme recalls Sister Valery’s love for animals, “She especially cared for her kitties for many years, and for my cat when I was away. She gave her kitties a home, and so enjoyed their company. Each was unique and special to her as we discovered when we found her file folder marked, ‘The Pets in My Life.’”
When celebrating her 70th Jubilee in 2015, Sister Valery said, “As I celebrate 70 years as a Sister of Mercy and review the many and distinctly different ministries and dioceses I’ve experienced, I can only say that my life has never been dull.”