Sister M. Dorothy McCaffrey, IHM
Sister M. Dorothy McCaffrey, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on April 22, 2006 at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
She was born on January 2, 1920, in Scranton, PA, and given the name Katherine. She was the daughter of the late Joseph B. and Anna Regina Hurst McCaffrey. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 8, 1937, made temporary profession of her vows on May 7, 1940, and final profession of her vows on August 1, 1943.
Sister Dorothy served as a teacher at the following schools: St. Lawrence Elementary School in Williamsport, PA, from 1969 to 1972; St. Ambrose Elementary School in Bridgeport, CT; Little Flower Elementary School in Bethesda, MD; St. John the Evangelist Elementary School in Silver Spring, MD; Our Lady of Grace Elementary School in Greensboro, NC; St. Ann Elementary School in Nyack, NY; St. Patrick Elementary School in Oneida, NY; as well as at schools located in Raleigh and Washington, NC, Manhasset and Staten Island, NY.
Sister served as a missionary and teacher in Lima, Peru at Santisimo Nombre de Jesus Elementary School from 1976 to 1985; and at Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II in Lurin, Peru from 1989 to 1992.
She also served as a member of the support staff at St. Joseph’s Center in Scranton, PA, from 1998 to 2002.
From 2002 to the time of her death, Sister Dorothy was a prayer minister at the Marian Convent and Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton.
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in education, and a Master of Science degree in education, both from Marywood College.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Thomas and Joseph, a sister, Mary Elizabeth Quinn, and two aunts in community, Sister M. Walburga McCaffrey, IHM and Sister Uriel Hurst, IHM.
She is survived by two sisters, Anna Sullivan of South Orange, NJ, and Sister Margaret Mary McCaffrey, APB, of Manchester, NH, nieces and nephews, and cousins.
The funeral will be Tuesday, April 25 at 10:30 a.m. with Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Peace Residence, 2300 Adams Avenue in Scranton followed by interment at St. Catherine Cemetery, Moscow. Friends may call at Our Lady of Peace Residence on Monday, April 24, between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
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 2006 issue
An IHM Sister through and through, that’s who our dear Sister Dorothy McCaffery was. You wouldn’t have to be in Dorothy’s company for very long before you knew you were in the presence of a Sister, Servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Some of us spend a lifetime trying to discover the essence of our vocation, but I truly believe Dorothy was born with the innate genes of hospitality, joyful, loving service and community spirit, so characteristic of our life. There’s no doubt that because Dorothy was born in Scranton and had other family members who were IHMs, early on she came to know who she wanted to be. Whatever the case, she surely had a “deep-down” sense of Scranton IHM.
Whether Dorothy was teaching in the classroom, which she dearly loved, or listening to a poor person in need, her smile and that special twinkle in her eye would immediately warm the heart of the person with whom she was relating. Of all the places where Dorothy was stationed, I do believe that Peru was among her favorites. To her dying days Dorothy was singing and speaking in Spanish. Yes, she sowed many seeds in the land of Peru, giving humble service to all.
Speaking of seeds, wherever Dorothy lived she always delighted to tend the garden, but she also knew as well, how to dress up for any social event that rolled around. Indeed she was a Sister for all seasons.
In closing, I know that if we had a penny for the number of crocheted items Dorothy fashioned or for the groups of fun-time crocheting she organized, we’d be very rich. The spiritual riches that Dorothy left us however, are far greater.
by Sister Joel Marie Sheehe
