Sister Teresa M. O'Malley, IHM
Sister Teresa M. O’Malley, IHM, (formerly known as Sister M. Eugenius) of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Thursday, January 30, 2014, at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
She was born on May 8, 1928, in Avoca, PA. She was the daughter of the late Eugene J. and Margaret Carden O’Malley. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 7, 1951, and made her temporary profession of vows on August 2, 1954, and her final profession of vows on August 2, 1957.
Sister Teresa served as a teacher in the following schools: Sacred Heart Elementary School in Mt. Holly, NJ, from 1954 to 1955; St. Peter’s Parish in Wellsboro, PA, from 1955 to 1958; Chapel Elementary School in Scranton, PA, from 1958 to 1959; Nativity of Our Lord Elementary School in Scranton, PA, from 1959 to 1962; St. Patrick Elementary School in Olyphant, PA, from 1962 to 1964; St. John the Evangelist High School in Pittston, PA, from 1964 to 1966; St. Rose High School in Carbondale, PA, from 1966 to 1967; St. Patrick High School in Scranton, PA, from 1967 to 1971; Notre Dame High School in East Stroudsburg, PA, from 1971 to 1972; Bishop Hannon High School in Scranton, PA, from 1975 to 1976; and Bishop Klonowski High School in Scranton, PA, from 1976 to 1979.
Sister also served on the staff at St. Joseph’s Center in Scranton, PA, from 1972 to 1974; and on the office staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Carbondale, PA, from 1974 to 1975. She served at Marywood College in Scranton, PA, in the following positions: instructor in business education from 1979 to 1980; assistant director of affirmative action personnel from 1980 to 1982; supervisor of the work study program from 1982 to 1986; coordinator of graduate admissions from 1986 to 1990; graduate recruitment and communications office from 1990 to 1995; and in technical processing from 1995 to 2001. She served as receptionist and chapel sacristan at the IHM Center in Scranton, PA, from 2005 to 2007.
From 2007 until the time of her death, Sister Teresa served as a prayer minister at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton.
She received a bachelor of arts degree and a master of science degree in education from Marywood College.
She is preceded in death by two sisters, Mary Jordan and Margaret Carey.
She is survived by nieces, a nephew, and a grandnephew.
The funeral will be Wednesday, February 5, 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 Tuesday, February 4, between 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. A prayer service will be held at 4:00 p.m. Interment will follow Mass on Wednesday 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.
Reprinted from "In Memoriam" section of Journey, Spring 2014 issue
We first met Teresa on September 8, 1951. She was truly an Irish beauty with her white Irish skin and wavy red hair. Most of us had just graduated from high school and were seventeen or eighteen years old. Teresa, on the other hand, had completed Business College and had been employed for five years as a secretary to a bank executive.
Teresa was a very private person, but seemed to fit right in with the other postulants. It was obvious to all of us she was a very prayerful person and spent much time before the Blessed Sacrament. Later on, she told us that each day when she returned home from work she always stopped at the Polish Church next to her home in Avoca. She really felt that she received her vocation while visiting Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament at that Church. Once she decided to become an IHM sister she never looked back.
Teresa dearly loved her parents and two sisters. When they needed her help she was right there to care for them. After her parents’ deaths she was free to travel. She really enjoyed visiting the shrines of Our Blessed Lady at Lourdes, Fatima, Knock, and Medjugorje. She also traveled to a number of the European countries. Through the kindness of her niece, Dr. Pat in New York, she enjoyed a number of Broadway shows and operas. She also had many vacations in California with her sister Mary and her family.
During her years of teaching she taught elementary, high school and college. At Marywood University she spent 22 years both teaching and serving in various office positions. Then she was called to home ministry when her sister Margaret needed her. After Margaret’s death she was assigned to the IHM Center. Because of her devotion to the Blessed Sacrament she volunteered to be sacristan for the third floor Chapel. When assigned to OLP she again volunteered her service for the Chapel on the fourth fl oor. Both Chapels were beautifully kept and decorated with the same perfection with which she did all things.
When you entered her room you would have no doubt about her devotion to the angels because of the many statues decorating her room. As she was waiting to meet our dear Lord, she gave her caregivers the angels they admired. We have no doubt that now she is with our Lord and the Angels. We quote from the plaque hanging above her seat in the chapel at Our Lady of Peace Residence: "Forever with the angels — always in our hearts!"
by Sister Annellen Kelly, IHM and Sister Pauline Kelly, IHM
