Sister M. Selina Malone, IHM
Sister M. Selina Malone, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Thursday, February 16, 2012, at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
She was born on August 6, 1918, in Brooklyn, NY, and given the name Mary Catherine. She was the daughter of the late Patrick J. and Margaret Delaney Malone. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 8, 1938, and made her temporary profession of vows on May 8, 1941, and her final profession of vows on August 1, 1944.
Sister Selina was a teacher for more than fifty years and served at the following schools St. Mary Elementary School in Manhasset, NY, from 1941 to 1946; St. Matthew Elementary School in East Stroudsburg, PA, from 1946 to 1947; St. Peter of Alcantara in Port Washington, NY, from 1947 to 1956; St. Leo Elementary School in Ashley, PA, from 1956 to 1957; Sacred Heart Elementary School in Mount Holly, NJ, from 1957 to 1958; St. Mary of the Mount Elementary School in Pittsburgh, PA, from 1958 to 1964; Holy Trinity Elementary School in Poughkeepsie, NY, from 1964 to 1967; St. Ephrem Elementary School in Brooklyn, NY, from 1972 to 1978; Our Lady of Mount Carmel Elementary School in Asbury Park, NJ., from 1978 to 1987; Epiphany Elementary School in Sayre, PA, from 1987 to 1993.
Sister served as principal at St. Rosalia Elementary School in Pittsburgh, PA, from 1967 to 1969, and St. Patrick Elementary School in Olyphant, PA, from 1969 to 1972.
From 1993 to 2004, Sister Selina was a prayer minister at St. Ephrem’s in Brooklyn, NY, and from 2004 until the time of her death, she was a prayer minister at the Marian Convent and at Our Lady of Peace Residence, both located in Scranton.
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Marywood College and a Master of Arts degree in history from St. John’s University.
She was preceded in death by four brothers, Joseph, Dennis, James and Daniel, six sisters, Margaret Burger, Alice Berger, June Haran, Ann Haran, Clare Weisgarber, and Patricia Weeman.
She is survived by two sisters, Kathleen Howlett of Avon, MA, and Regina Crookshank of Winston-Salem, NC, a brother, William of Lakewood, NJ, nieces and nephews; and great nieces and great nephews.
The funeral will be Tuesday, February 21, at 11:00 a.m. with Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Peace Residence, 2300 Adams Avenue in Scranton. Friends may call at Our Lady of Peace Residence on Monday, February 20, between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. A prayer service will be held at 4:00 p.m. Interment will follow Mass on Tuesday at St. Catherine's Cemetry in Moscow, PA.
Memorial contributions may be made to support the retired IHM Sisters c/o the IHM Sisters Retirement Fund, IHM Center, 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509.
Reprinted from "In Memoriam" section of Journey, Summer 2012 issue
Sister Selina Malone’s incredibly blue eyes were the windows to her beautiful, graceful spirit, for always she lived with intense awareness and profound love of God. Having grown up in a family of thirteen children, she seemed to have internalized the virtues of humility, generosity and loving service from her very early years, and yet she never felt that she did enough for people. Her zeal and enthusiasm for service were endless.
For more than fifty years, Sister Selina was a strong and patient teacher and principal, always concerned about her students and their families. She understood well the importance of family in one’s life. She imbued them with a strong awareness of God and a deep sense of gratitude and service. Her own intellectual curiosity and love of reading must have prodded her students to seek knowledge and understanding of the world. A native of Brooklyn, she never lost her love for the New York Times and the good reading and analysis it provided.
For Sister Selina, each person was specially valued. She always had a pile of cards on her desk to wish happy birthday or congratulate or sympathize with a loss. A woman gentle in her manner and graceful in her infirmity, Sister Selina continued to contribute as much as possible to common work and community life at Our Lady of Peace. Her love was deep and broad and her soul faithful and generous. We were all blest to have her among us for so long.
by Kathryn Kurdziel, IHM
