Sister M. Victoire Moran, IHM
Sister M. Victoire Moran, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Friday, August 24, 2007 at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, New York.
She was born on April 5, 1922 in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, and given the name Mary Catherine. She was the daughter of the late John R. and Mary D. Dennehy Moran. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 8, 1940, made temporary profession of her vows on May 9, 1943 and final profession of her vows on August 2, 1946.
Sister Victoire served as a teacher at the following schools: Nativity of Our Lord Elementary School in Scranton, PA, from 1943 to 1952; St. Joseph Elementary School in Renovo, PA, from 1952 to 1955; St. Mary Elementary School in Patton, PA, from 1955 to 1956; St. Joseph Elementary School in Danville, PA, from 1956 to 1959; St. Mary of Mount Carmel Elementary School in Dunmore, PA, from 1959 to 1970; and St. Matthew Elementary School in Wilmington, DE, from 1970 to 1971.
Sister served as principal at the following schools: Nativity of Our Lord Elementary School in Scranton, PA, from 1971 to 1974; St. Mary of the Assumption Elementary School in Upper Marlboro, MD, from 1974 to 1983; and St. Dominic Elementary School in Oyster Bay, NY, from 1983 to 1989.
She also served as the Library Coordinator at St. Peter of Alcantara School in Port Washington, NY, from 1989 to 2005.
From 2005 until the time of her death, Sister Victoire served as a receptionist at St. Peter of Alcantara Parish in Port Washington, NY.
She received a Bachelor of Music degree in music education and a Master of Science degree in religious education, both from Marywood College.
She was preceded in death by a brother, Joseph M., and a sister, Patricia M. Probst.
She is survived by a sister, Loretta M. Stone of New York, NY, a brother, John R. of Neptune, NJ, a sister-in-law, Jean Moran, nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be Tuesday, August 28, at 10:30 a.m. with Mass of Christian Burial at the IHM Center, 2300 Adams Avenue in Scranton. Interment will follow at St. Catherine's Cemetery, Moscow. Friends may call at the IHM Center on Monday, August 27, 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, Winter 2007 issue
Some years ago Sister Victoire and I were together when a new issue of “Journey” came out. As she read the obituary memorials on the last page she said to me, “Will you write mine?” “Sure,” I said, “but I don’t think I’ll need to work on it for a decade or two yet.” Now, as I write this, I feel I should have had another ten years or so to work on it.
At her funeral, Father Bob spoke of the laughter he always associated with Sister Victoire, and I would have to agree. She had a store of funny stories and there was precious little in life in which she could not see the humor. Teaching was her passion and she always spoke fondly of former students and the schools she had taught in: the boys’ choir at St. Mary’s in Dunmore, a lad named Billy Bunting in Upper Marlboro, the Eighth Graders at St. Dominic’s in Oyster Bay, the children who came into the Primary Library at St. Peter’s in Port Washington.
I first met Sister Victoire at St. Joseph’s in Danville, where she tried heroically, but in vain, to make a pianist of me, and where her patience and humor inspired my desire to enter the convent. It was typical of her that her welcome to me after I transferred to the IHM Congregation in 1979 was a terse three words: “What kept you?” In the twenty-seven years that have passed since then, I was fortunate in being able to enjoy sharing community with her and to see with what grace and dignity she moved through life.
Sister Victoire was always “Mary Catherine” to her family and she held them as dear as life itself. She had wonderful stories of her brothers and sisters growing up in Lock Haven, stories full of childhood pranks and shared adventures that filled their days. She took great pleasure in the accomplishments of her nephews and nieces and in those of their children. Every Baptism, First Communion, graduation, any event or occasion for celebration would fill her with joy, joy I often was able to witness and share as her family decided I could be an “honorary Moran.”
Sister Victoire was a model IHM – intelligent, warm, genuine, strong, faithful, real. When life was hard she said so, and sometimes wept; when life was easier, she shared the good times. Always she cherished her friends, loved her Congregation, kept faith with those with whom she forged such strong bonds. Sister Victoire loved and served a God who she believed read the heart. Now that God has called her home, I believe there is much laughter in heaven, for her heart was always full of love.
by Sr. M. Gilmary Beagle, IHM
