Sister Mary Kathryn Dwyer, IHM
Sister Mary Kathryn (Mary Kay) Dwyer, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, at Hospice of the Sacred Heart in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
She was born on May 24, 1948 in Scranton, PA, and was the daughter of the late John J. and Rosemary Stuckart Dwyer. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 1, 1968, made temporary profession of her vows on June 6, 1971, and final profession of her vows on June 27, 1981.
Sister Mary Kay served as a teacher at the following schools: Scranton School District in Scranton, PA, from 1972 to 1973; NEIU in Scranton, PA, from 1973 to 1976; St. Paul Elementary School in Scranton, PA, from 1976 to 1978; Friendship House in Scranton, PA, from 1992 to 1995; and Bishop Hannon High School in Scranton, PA, from 1995 to 2007.
Sister Mary Kay also served as an administrative assistant at St. Joseph’s Center in Scranton, PA, from 1978 to 1992; and student teaching supervisor at Marywood College in Scranton, PA, from 1980 to 1998.
From 2008 until the time of her death, Sister Mary Kay served as a prayer minister at home and at Our Lady of Peace Residence.
She received a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary/early childhood education, and Master of Science degrees in special education, reading education, and public administration all from Marywood College.
She is survived by a sister, Suzanne Dwyer Zaleski, and her husband, David, of Blakely, PA, a sister, Rosemary Kahler, and her husband, Mark, of Cedar Park, TX, and a sister, Judy of Scranton, PA, a brother, Martin, and his wife, Loretta, of Radnor, PA, a brother Marc, of Scranton, PA, a brother Tony, and his wife, Moira, of Pittsburgh, PA, a brother, John, and his wife, Mary Beth, of Dalton, PA, a brother, Christopher, of Nicholson, PA, a brother, Joseph, of Pittsburgh, PA, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. She is also survived by the members of the IHM Congregation.
The funeral will be Saturday, October 18, at 9:00 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 Friday, October 17, between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. A prayer service will be held at 4:00 p.m. Interment will follow Mass on Saturday at St. Catherine’s Cemetery 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.
Reflections given by Sister Ellen Maroney, IHM Congregation President
Sister Mary Kay Dwyer, Wake 10/17/14
Good afternoon, Sisters and Friends.
We gather this afternoon to recall with heartfelt gratitude the life of our Sister Mary Kay Dwyer.
For forty-four years Mary Kay witnessed her dedication to God and to serving others through the many students who benefitted from her professional and competent service as an educator. She taught in several schools in Scranton and also served as an administrative assistant at St. Joseph’s Center and a special education student teaching supervisor at Marywood University. We rejoice today in her many talents and her commitment to family, friends, and the God whom she loved.
In reflecting upon Mary Kay’s life, I am struck by the awesome mystery and vulnerability of the precious gift of life itself. Her heart and will to live kept her going despite numerous severe health complications. (I’m pretty sure she qualified for her own M.D. license!). As she failed in these last weeks, it was her heart that just refused to give up. That is no surprise to those who knew Mary Kay – her generous heart was a hallmark of her entire life.
Mary Kay will be missed by all of us, but we rejoice that she is now at home with her God and enjoying eternal life with her parents, Rosemary and John. I am certain they are celebrating a joyous reunion today in heaven.
We pray very specially today for Mary Kay’s family: Susie and her husband, Dave; John and his wife, Mary Beth; Tony and his wife, Moira; Judy; Bunny and her husband, Mark; Joe; Chris; Marty and his wife, Loretta; and Mark; and of course, Seamus; her nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews; her dear friend, Sr. Mary Ellen; her IHM and other close friends; and her doctors who cared for her beyond measure. We also pray for the wonderful staff members here at Our Lady of Peace and the caregivers at Hospice of the Sacred Heart, who were so attentive to Mary Kay.
Those who have walked life’s journey with Mary Kay have been blessed by her life among us. To quote the Irish blessing: May the road rise to meet you! May the wind be always at your back! . . . May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God.
And so, let us pray now in deep gratitude . . .
Loving God, today we recall with heartfelt gratitude the precious life of our Sister Mary Kay Dwyer. Her forty-four years as a Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary were dedicated to you through the many students who were the benefactors of her professional and competent service as an educator in several schools in Scranton. Mary Kay also served as an administrative assistant at St. Joseph’s Center and a student teaching supervisor at Marywood University. We rejoice today in her many gifts and her commitment to family, friends, and the God whom she loved.
Mary Kay’s life taught us about the mystery and vulnerability of the precious gift of life itself. She will be missed by us, but we rejoice that she is now at peace and home with her God and enjoying eternal life with her parents Rosemary and John. We can imagine the joyous reunion they are celebrating today in heaven.
We pray very specially today for those who mourn the loss of Mary Kay, in particular her sisters and brothers: Susie, John, Tony, Judy, Bunny, Joe, Chris, Marty, and Mark; her in-laws, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews; her dear friend, Sr. Mary Ellen; her IHM and other close friends; and her doctors who cared for her beyond measure. We also bring into our prayer the wonderful staff members here at Our Lady of Peace and the caregivers at Hospice of the Sacred Heart, who were so attentive to Mary Kay.
Her sisters in community, especially those in Household 3C here at OLP, the members of her band, and all those who have walked life’s journey with Mary Kay have been blessed by her life among us.
May the memory of her life be a sign of resurrection for them. May the road rise to meet you! May the wind be always at your back! May you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God. Grant eternal rest to Sister Mary Kay, O Lord, and may your everlasting light shine upon her and all your faithful departed. Amen.
Sr. Mary Kay Dwyer, Funeral 10/18/14
Good morning. As we gather in prayer to celebrate the life of Sr. Mary Kay, I want to welcome all of her family and friends who are able to be with us today.
I want to thank Father O’Malley for being with us today. We are very grateful. I want to express our gratitude, too, to Mary Kay’s doctors, who went above and beyond in their efforts and were true friends to her, and to also the caregivers at Hospice of the Sacred Heart, who extended their care and support to her family and friends who visited each day.
Mary Kay witnessed her dedication to God and to serving others through the many students who benefitted from her professional and competent service as an educator. She taught in several schools in Scranton and also served as an administrative assistant at St. Joseph’s Center and a special education student teaching supervisor at Marywood University. Throughout her life, Mary Kay’s talents focused on enabling others to reach their full potential, and I think her happiest moments were when she was working on behalf of the most vulnerable in society.
In reflecting upon Mary Kay’s life, I am struck by the awesome mystery and vulnerability of the precious gift of life itself. She endured more health complications than anyone I know. (As I said yesterday, I’m pretty sure she qualified for her own M.D. license!). As she failed in these last weeks, it was her heart that refused to give up – a heart whose generosity knew no bounds during her life. From being with her during these past weeks, I was touched by the number of people who stopped in to visit her, people whose lives had been impacted by Mary Kay and who were so grateful for her presence in their lives.
Mary Kay will be missed by all of us, but we rejoice that she is now at home with her God and enjoying eternal life with her parents Rosemary and John.
I am certain they are celebrating a joyous reunion today in heaven and I’m also positive the celebration involves a lobster dinner or two!
We pray very specially today for Mary Kay’s family: Susie and her husband, Dave; John and his wife, Mary Beth; Tony and his wife, Moira; Judy; Bunny and her husband, Mark; Joe; Chris; Marty and his wife, Loretta; and Mark; her nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews; her dear friend, Sr. Mary Ellen; her IHM and other close friends; her Band members; and all those who shared community and ministry with Mary Kay.
We ask the God of all consolation to comfort us with the assurance that she is, indeed, “safe in the gentle, loving arms of God.”
Susie will now place the scriptures on Mary Kay’s casket, for she heard the Word of God, she staked her life upon it and received life to the full . . . the Word now beckons her home.
Reprinted from "In Memoriam" section of Journey, Spring 2015 issue
We thank God for our dear friend, Sister Mary K. She was a blessing in our lives and we thank you, God, for the happiness we have in sharing so many memories of our dear friend.
Perhaps the greatest love of Mary K’s life was her service of seventeen years at St. Joseph’s Center. It was at St. Joseph’s Center that Mary K met Mark, who would later become her brother when he was officially adopted by her parents. Mary K met Mark when he was two years old and in the care of St. Joseph’s Center. She took him to her family home for visits, where he spent time with Mary K’s parents and her nine siblings. The family fell in love with Mark and soon made plans for adoption. Mark became a new “Irish” member of the Dwyer family.
Mary K’s love extended to all the clients in her care at St. Joseph’s Center but in a special way to Bobby Walsh. Bobby, who has cerebral palsy, won her heart. Sister Mary K recognized in him a deep gift for working with computers and encouraged him to use his talents. Bobby started school in a sixth grade physically handicapped and learning disabled class. He accomplished six years in one year at the West Scranton Middle School. As a result of this, he was mainstreamed into regular classes and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Marywood University. Sister Mary K accompanied Bobby and his mother on job interviews. Bobby now works as a Systems Support Specialist for Lackawanna County. He remained an inspiration to Sister Mary K through her own years of challenging physical decline.
Mary K was also an educator. While at Bishop Hannon High School in Scranton, she took great pride in providing expert speakers from a variety of disciplines for her students.
Mary K’s friends remember their trips with her to Auntie’s in Hampton Bays, Long Island. Many vacations were spent there with lots of laughter, good friends, food, Mass with Father Jack and Father Tom, and the peace that comes with being near the water.
Mary K’s nearly thirty years of illness and pain brought her closer to Our Lady. She had a special compassion for those who were handicapped and those who were discriminated against because of their handicaps.
In that long and tempted hour of suffering, you persevered, Mary K, supported and upheld by God and his Blessed Mother, your community, family, friends—and Seamus and Buddy. Until we all meet again, may you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of your God.
by Sisters Mary Ellen James, IHM, Mary Schmidling, IHM, and Jane Frances Dunnigan, IHM
