Sister Mary Earley, IHM
Sister Mary Earley, IHM (formerly known as Sister M. Jogues) of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Monday, July 28, 2008 at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, PA.
She was born on December 14, 1915 in Pittston, PA. She was the daughter of the late John Toner and Mary Gildea Earley, and the step-daughter of the late Anna Moran Earley. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 8, 1934, made her temporary profession of vows on May 3, 1937, and final profession of her vows on August 2, 1940.
Sister Mary served as a teacher at the following schools: St. Ephrem Elementary School in Brooklyn, NY, from 1937 to 1938; St. Thomas Commercial School in Archbald, PA, from 1938 to 1948; South Scranton Catholic High School in Scranton, PA, from 1948 to 1958; and St. Alphonsus High School in New York, NY, from 1958 to 1959. She served as principal at Holy Rosary High School in Scranton, PA, from 1959 to 1961.
Sister Mary was appointed the first director of admissions at Marywood College in Scranton, PA, in 1963, a post she held until 1975. She served on the Board of Trustees of Marywood College, and was also elected to the Board of Trustees of the College Entrance Examination Board. She served two terms as president of the Catholic Colleges of Women Admissions Officers. She served as the assistant administrator at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Carbondale, PA, from 1961 to 1963.
Sister also served as a guidance counselor at St. Mary High School in Manhasset, NY, from 1975 to 1986. She also served on the support staff at St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay, NY, from 1986 to 1990, and at St. Patrick Elementary School in Scranton, PA, from 1990 to 1991. From 1991 to 2005, she served as an instuctor of the IHM Educational Enrichment Institute at the IHM Center in Scranton, PA.
From 2005 until the time of her death, Sister Mary served as a prayer minister at the Marian Convent and Our Lady of Peace Residence, both in Scranton.
She received a bachelor of arts degree in education from Marywood College, and a master of education degree in secondary school counseling from Duquesne University.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Alice and Nancy.
She is survived by two brothers Edward J. of Centerville, OH, and John T. and his wife, Bernadette, of Winchester, VA, and nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be Thursday, July 31, 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 Wednesday, July 30, between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. A prayer service will be held at 4:30 p.m. Interment will follow at St. Catherine's Cemtery 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, Fall 2008 issue
Sister Mary Earley was a woman of loyalty and integrity. She was loyal to her family, her friends and especially to her God. Mary’s integrity was shown by her honest and candid relationships with all the people she encountered in her work and in her social life. Mary loved life and enjoyed it to the fullest. Her spiritual life was as rich and vibrant as her physical life.
Mary’s constant mentor and spiritual guide was Henri Nouwen. She read and devoured his books and tried to put his spirituality into practice in her own life.
When Mary went to Our Lady of Peace Residence, she began preparing for her final days on earth by deepening her personal relationship with her God. She wanted to die, not to be relieved of physical pain, but to meet her loving God who was her constant companion. As her physical life began to ebb away, her spiritual life took on a renewed energy; what she lost physically she gained spiritually.
Mary was a vibrant teacher who taught her pupils lessons that not only prepared them to make a living but also taught them how to live. Many of the students she had as a young Sister in Archbald and other places kept in contact with her and credited her for their success because of the excellent foundation she gave them in her commercial classes.
One of the many gifts that Mary employed was her ability to write. She kept in contact with her friends and many Sisters especially those who were on home ministry. Her newsy and informative letters were a source of joy and encouragement to those who received them.
With the same vibrancy that she lived her life, Mary overcame many setbacks in her health.
On Monday, July 28, 2008 Sister Mary Earley went to meet the God who had been her constant companion.
by Sr. Anne Mary Boslett, IHM
