Sister Maureen Kelly, FSP, formerly known as Sr. John Agnes, was the second child of four born in New York City to John and Agnes Kelly. She was raised north of the George Washington Bridge often referred to as Innwood. There she attended Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Elementary School where she met the Franciscan Sisters. She attended Cathedral High School for girls located on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. After graduating from high school in 1953, Maureen entered the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Peekskill, NY and professed her first vows in 1955.
Sister Maureen pursued higher education at Ladycliff College in Highland Falls, NY graduating with a BA degree in History and English. Later, she studied at Hunter College in Manhattan where she earned an MA in History.
Sr. Maureen was one of 112 founding members of the Franciscan Sisters of Peace established in 1986.
Throughout her years of ministry, she taught in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York on the elementary level as well as
the secondary level.
While ministering at St. Joseph’s High School in West New York, NJ, she served as the chairperson of the History Department. After completing studies at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ, where she received an MA in Student Personnel Services and Guidance, she served as Director of Guidance at both St. Joseph’s High School, West New York, NJ and St. Dominic’s Academy, Jersey City, NJ for thirty-six years. During these years she received special recognition as “Counselor of the County” for her dedicated service to students, parents, educators and the community as well as for promoting the highest ideals of the school counseling profession. It was Sr. Maureen’s energy, joy, and generous spirit that were gifts to her students for so many years.
In 2011 she retired from her ministry at St. Dominic’s Academy and served as Eucharistic Minister and Lector at St. Joseph’s Parish, Bogota, NJ. In early 2018, due to declining health, Sr. Maureen moved to Marian Woods in Hartsdale, a collaborative adult care facility for women religious from various communities. Since 2019, she has been a resident of St. Cabrini Nursing Home in Dobbs Ferry, NY. It was there that she befriended other residents and staff ministering in her own special way to all she encountered.
Sr. Maureen is survived by her brother, John Kelly and her sister Eileen Giordan as well as many nieces and nephews and several grand nieces and nephews.
All services will be private due to the Coronavirus pandemic. A Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated when possible.
Interment will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Yonkers, NY on Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Sister Regina Miriam (Catherine McWilliams) died peacefully on April 1, 2020 at St. Cabrini Nursing Home in Dobbs Ferry, NY. Catherine was born in New York City on November 14, 1927 to Isabella Ferris and Ralph McWilliams. She had six siblings: Michael, Thomas, Margaret, Colette, Theresa and Ralph. She attended Sacred Heart Grammar School in Manhattan and graduated from Cathedral High School in June 1946. In her first year at Cathedral High School she met the Franciscan Sisters and entered their novitiate in Peekskill, NY in March of 1947.
After her religious profession, Sr. Regina Miriam was assigned to the field of Elementary Education and remained in that ministry for fifty-six years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English at Ladycliff College, Highland Falls, NY and later studied at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ where she achieved a Master’s degree in Education Administration in 1976.
During her early years she taught at St. Mary’s School in West New York, NJ. In 1953 she was assigned as teacher and child care worker at St. Joseph’s Home, Peekskill, NY until 1955 when she went to teach at St. Patrick’s School in Verplanck, NY until 1957. From 1957-1959, she taught at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs and St. Veronica’s School, both in Manhattan. From 1960-1961, she taught at Assumption in Peekskill, NY
Sr. Regina Miriam rejoined the faculty at St. Mary’s School, West New York, NJ in 1961 and spent five years there. She then taught for two years at St. Joseph’s School, Bogota, NJ. In 1969, she returned to Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in NYC until 1972. It was then that she was appointed as Principal of St. Joseph’s School in Bogota, NJ and served in that role for six years.
Illness interrupted her tenure as Principal in 1978 but Sr. Regina Miriam was able to return to that role in 1983 serving for another twenty-one years! During her teaching tenure, Sr. Regina Miriam received permanent licensing in education in both New York and New Jersey. She was also certified as Principal by the State of New Jersey in 1972. In 2003 she received the STARS award as a tribute to her service in the field of education.
In 1986, when the newly founded Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Peace was established, Sr. Regina Miriam chose to become one of 112 founding members. She served on the Finance Committee of St. Joseph’s Parish, Bogota and the Long-Range Planning Committee of the Franciscan Sisters of Peace.
She retired from active ministry in 2004 and continued to reside in Bogota until 2010 when she moved to a collaborative retirement facility, Marian Woods located in Hartsdale, NY and remained in residence there until 2017. Due to her need for skilled care, Sr. Regina Miriam was moved to St. Cabrini Nursing Home in Dobbs Ferry, NY.
All of Sr. Regina Miriam’s siblings have predeceased her. She was proud of the military service of her brothers, Michael and Thomas, who served in the US Army during World War II. Thomas (Tucker) was wounded in combat in Germany on February 23, 1945 and died two days later near Duren, Germany. He was buried in the Henri Chapelle Cemetery in Belgium.
Sr. Regina Miriam is survived by her nieces, Rose Ann Buccino and Michele Giuliano, who were very faithful and attentive to visiting her at St. Cabrini Nursing Home. She also had many nieces and nephews along with several cousins.
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, no wake or funeral services could be held. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated when possible.
Interment will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Yonkers, NY on Saturday, April 4, 2020. Service will be private.
Sr. Irene was 78 years old and was a Franciscan Sister for 60 years. She was born in NYC on April 4, 1941 to Elizabeth Steineger and James Freely. She grew up in the Inwood section of Manhattan and graduated from Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs School where she met the Franciscan Sisters. She attended Cathedral High School, graduating in 1959. Sr. Irene entered the novitiate of the Franciscan Sisters at Peekskill, NY in 1959 and professed her first vows in 1961. She was assigned to teach in grammar schools in New Jersey and Philadelphia. She then ministered in child care at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Home, Bronx, NY for more than 10 years. She received a B.A. degree in Human Services from Dominican College, Blauvelt, NY and later her Masters in Social Work from Fordham University. Sr. Irene transferred to the Franciscan Sisters of Peace when the new congregation was established in 1986. After completing her M.S.W. she joined the staff of a Covenant House Program called “Under 21” and shortly after that the Dominican Sisters Family Health Services in the South Bronx. In 1983 she was one of the sisters who pioneered the Newburgh Ministry, an outreach program attempting to meet the needs of an impoverished area in Newburgh, NY. After a sabbatical period spent in Guatemala in 1988 living with women religious from that area, she returned to that country for 8 years. With funding from grants, she established feeding programs for poor children, a program to enable children to attend the local school rather than work in the fields, a library, a program to teach women to use sewing machines to make clothes and other efforts to assist the poor. After her return to the U.S. in 1996, Sr. Irene was in social work ministry at St. Nicholas Tolentine Parish, Bronx, NY for 10 years until her retirement due to illness. She is survived by her sister Virginia Cassell, her nephew John Cassell, and three nieces Kristina Brennan, Irene Cassell and Beth Marshall and many cousins.
She was born in Astoria, Queens to William and Catherine McCarthy Doyle on February 3, 1928. She graduated from Bishop McDonnell High School and received a BA in English from Ladycliff College and a MA in English from St. Bonaventure University. Sr. Kathleen entered into the religious community on September 8, 1946 at Mount St. Francis in Peekskill, NY. She professed her first vows on July 8, 1948 and final vows on July 8, 1953. Her Assignments included St. Leo’s School, Elmwood Park, NJ; Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School, NYC; St. Matthew’s School, Hastings, NY; St. Joseph’s Home, Peekskill, NY; Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Home, Bronx, NY; Assisium Business School, NYC; St. Patrick’s School, Yorktown, NY; Ladycliff Academy/Franciscan High School, Mohegan Lake, NY; Crouse Irving Hospital, Syracuse, NY; Calvary Hospital, Bronx, NY; Misericordia Hospital, NYC; Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, NYC; Pelham Bay Mercy Hospital, Bronx, NY; Metropolitan Hospital, NYC; Our Lady of Mercy, D’Urso Pavilion, Bronx, NY; St. Joseph Hospital, Yonkers, NY. She also received an Advanced Certification in Clinical Pastoral Education. Sr. Kathleen is survived by her brother Bill Doyle, Mineola, NY; Sister – Sr. Dolores Doyle, PBVM, Yonkers, NY; niece Mary Marsch, Virginia; nephews Bill Doyle, Indiana and Bud Doyle, Colorado.