Sister M. Elissa Meehan, IHM
Sister M. Elissa Meehan, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Friday, October 24, 2014, at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, PA.
She was born on May 20, 1912, in Carbondale, PA, and given the name Mary Winifred. She was the daughter of the late Patrick and Sarah Giblin Meehan. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 8, 1932, made her temporary profession of vows on April 30, 1935, and final profession of her vows on August 1, 1938.
Sister Elissa served as a teacher at the following schools: St. John Elementary School in Pittston, PA, from 1935 to 1938; St. Cecilia High School in Exeter, PA, from 1938 to 1940; St. Leo High School in Ashley, PA, from 1940 to 1946; Laurel Hill Academy in Susquehanna, PA, from 1946 to 1950; St. Mary of the Mt. High School in Pittsburgh, PA, from 1950 to 1953; Most Holy Rosary High School in Syracuse, NY, from 1953 to 1957; Immaculate Conception High School in Lock Haven, PA, from 1957 to 1963; St. Ann High School in Scranton, PA, from 1963 to 1964; South Scranton Catholic High School in Scranton, PA, from 1964 to 1970; St. John the Evangelist High School in Pittston, PA, from 1970 to 1978; and Bishop Hannon High School in Scranton, PA, from 1978 to 1982.
Sister Elissa also served as small group instructor at the following schools: Nativity of Our Lord Elementary School in Scranton, PA, from 1982 to 1986; St. John the Evangelist Elementary School in Binghamton, NY, from 1986 to 1988; Our Lady of Peace Elementary School in Clark's Green, PA, from 1988 to 1990; and the Education Enrichment Institute at the IHM Center in Scranton, from 1990 to 1996.
Sister also served as an assistant in the IHM Art Studio in Scranton, PA, from 1996 to 2002.
From 2002 until the time of her death, Sister Elissa served as a prayer minister at the Marian Convent and Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton.
She received a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Marywood College, and a Master of Arts degree in education from Villanova University.
She was preceded in death by four brothers, Robert, John, Paul, and Eugene, and a sister, Rose Smith.
She is survived by nieces and nephews, and by the members of the IHM Congregation.
The funeral will be Tuesday, October 28, 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, October 27, between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. A prayer service will be held at 4:00 p.m. Interment will follow Mass on Tuesday 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 Elissa Meehan, Wake 10/27/14
Good afternoon, Sisters and Friends,
We gather this afternoon to celebrate the great gift of the life of Sister Elissa Meehan. Our hearts are full of gratitude for this wonderful woman who served God so faithfully during her one hundred and two years of life!
Throughout her seventy-nine years of religious life, Elissa witnessed her love and dedication to God and to serving others. She taught in high schools and elementary schools in Pennsylvania and New York, was a small group instructor in several schools, including our own IHM Education Enrichment Institute, and also served as an assistant in the IHM Art Studio when she moved to the Marian Convent. For the past twelve years, Sister Elissa has served as a prayer minister at the Marian Convent and here at Our Lady of Peace. Talk about faithful, loving service!
We rejoice in the gift of Elissa’s life with us. Her days among us spoke of her trust in God and her love for her family and friends, her IHM Congregation, and especially the students to whom she ministered. Her slight stature belied her big heart. It’s been said that she could command an army, though the twinkle in her eye and the slight grin gave her away. Her students and those who knew her saw a woman always ready with a quip or a word of comfort whenever needed. Her kindness, dedication, and unassuming manner endeared her to others.
Elissa 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 Sarah and Patrick, her sister, Rose, and her brothers, Robert, John, Paul, and Eugene, who are now reunited with her as she is welcomed into the joy of eternal life by the God she loved and served so well.
Our prayers are with her niece, Mary Lou and her husband, Tom; her nephews, Robert, David, and Kenneth and their families; and all her nieces and nephews and their families, and all who knew and loved Elissa. We ask the God of all consolation to comfort them at this time of loss.
And so, let us pray now in deep gratitude…
Ever faithful God, we gather today with hearts filled with gratitude as we celebrate the life of our Sister Elissa. We know that she is at peace in the arms of her God for whom she waited so patiently and served so faithfully during her one hundred and two years. Her days among us spoke of her trust in God and her love for her family and friends, her IHM Congregation, and especially the students to whom she ministered. Her slight stature belied her big heart, always open to all. She is warmly remembered as a kind person who was unassuming, dedicated, and welcoming to others.
Sister Elissa lived and ministered among us as an IHM Sister for over seventy-nine years of joyful, loving service. We are grateful for her forty-seven years as teacher in a variety of places, which included both high schools and elementary schools in Pennsylvania and New York. We give thanks, too, for her years as a small group instructor in several schools, including our own IHM Education Enrichment Institute, followed by several years as an assistant in the IHM Art Studio. For the past twelve years, Sister Elissa has served as a prayer minister at the Marian Convent and here at Our Lady of Peace. We rejoice in the gift of Elissa’s life and her wonderful presence among us.
We pray that her niece, Mary Lou, and all her nieces and nephews and their families will be comforted in their time of loss.
We remember today her parents Sarah and Patrick, her sister, Rose, and her brothers, Robert, John, Paul, and Eugene, who are now reunited with her as she is welcomed into the joy of eternal life by the God she loved and served so well.
O God, we give you our gratitude for Elissa’s holy life and pray that perpetual light and happiness will shine upon her for all eternity. Amen.
Sister Elissa Meehan, Funeral 10/28/14
Good morning,
As we gather today to celebrate the great gift of the life of Sister Elissa Meehan, I want to welcome members of her family and friends who are able to be with us today. For one hundred and two years, she faithfully served on this earth before returning to her eternal home with the God who loved and strengthened her throughout her life. Our hearts are full of gratitude for her presence among us.
I want to take a moment to thank Father Kilpatrick, who is with us this morning and who is such a wonderful friend to all of us at the IHM Center and OLP.
We want to thank in a special way, Srs. Jean, Eleanor Mary, and Mary Kay, the administrators here at Our Lady of Peace and the wonderful staff here, as well as the employees of LIFE Geisinger, for the marvelous care and support Elissa received every day.
“We should not judge people by [a single] peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started.” (Henry Ward Beecher)
As I reflected on Elissa’s one hundred and two years of life, I thought about all the changes and experiences she lived through: two world wars, the Great Depression, inventions of the TV and the computer, passage of the law granting women the right to vote, Vatican II, and so many more. Then I thought about the changes in religious life and our own congregation during the years since Elissa entered, changes in life-style, our habit, and our ministries. I walked down the main hall, our Heritage Hall, at the IHM Center yesterday and purposely noticed photos of our history during these past 102 years. I think it is true to say that Elissa indeed travelled a great distance, not just geographically, but internally. She adapted to some of the most challenging changes we have ever known, and she did it with faith, determination, and a trust in God that did not waver.
Elissa’s life in ministry was also about many changes. She taught in several high schools and elementary schools in Pennsylvania and New York, was a small group instructor in many other schools, including our own IHM Education Enrichment Institute, and also served as an assistant in the IHM Art Studio when she moved to the Marian Convent. From 2002 on, Sister Elissa served as a prayer minister at the Marian Convent and here at Our Lady of Peace. I must confess: I did the math, and discovered that Elissa spent 20,315 days in ministry as an IHM sister (that’s not counting Saturdays and Sundays)! But the amount of care, joy, and love she gave to all the students and people whose lives she touched: priceless!
We rejoice in the gift of Elissa’s life with us. Her days among us spoke of her determination and trust in God and her love for her family and friends, her IHM Congregation, and the students to whom she ministered. Her slight stature belied her big heart. It’s been said that she could command an army, though the twinkle in her eye and the slight grin gave her away to her students and those who knew her. They saw a woman always ready with a quip or a word of comfort whenever needed.
Elissa 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 Sarah and Patrick, her sister, Rose, and her brothers, Robert, John, Paul, and Eugene, who are now reunited with her as she is welcomed into the joy of eternal life by the God she loved and served so well.
Our prayers are with her niece, Mary Lou; her nephews, Robert, David, Kenneth, Eric, and Brian and their families; all her relatives and their families; and all who knew and loved Elissa. We ask the God of all consolation to comfort them at this time of loss.
___ will now place the scriptures on Elissa’s casket, for indeed Elissa 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
I first met Sister Elissa my freshman year at Immaculate Conception High School (I.C.) in my hometown of Lock Haven, PA. I would be her student for three years of math — Algebra 1, 2 and Geometry. I remember Sister Elissa offering to tutor those who needed help after school. I.C. was a small high school and we didn’t have many extracurricular activities, but the sisters provided us with bowling, reading and newspaper club. Sister Elissa offered her assistance to the book club. We would read the books and share the stories with the group. The time the sisters gave to us I now realize was a great sacrifice on their part.
I entered the IHM Congregation after high school and saw Sister Elissa on and off over the years. She was always interested in what I was doing. Sister Elissa was in her 80’s when she volunteered to help in the IHM Art Studio at the Marian Convent and I had the pleasure of being there to welcome her.
While working at Our Lady of Peace I would often stop in to wish her good morning and she would reply “Oh, you!” and laugh. I will miss seeing, talking and laughing with her.
by Sister Johnice Grand, IHM
Sister Elissa Meehan was a fun-loving sister who lived in household 1C at Our Lady of Peace Residence. She loved to sing. Some of her favorite songs were “My Merry Oldsmobile”, “You Are My Sunshine”, and “Yankee Doodle”.
She sang with great enthusiasm and life. When Sister Elissa sang, she encouraged everyone present to sing along with her with great gusto. We often shared a song and a good laugh. She had a great sense of humor and seemed to enjoy calling her caregivers “Mother” or “Baby”.
When the nursing cart would come into the household, Sister Elissa would respond by saying “Ping, Pong”, imitating the noise of the cart. Her laughter was contagious, and when she laughed, everyone would laugh.
Sister Elissa had a great devotion to our Blessed Mother under the title, “Our Lady of Perpetual Help”. Many times during the day, she would raise her eyes to the ceiling, smiling as if she saw our Blessed Mother or angels flying above and around her. The sisters and staff in 1C will surely miss her.
by Sister Patricia Hauser, IHM
