Sister Ellen Smith, IHM

Sister Ellen Smith, IHM, (formerly known as Sister Marie Ellen), of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Thursday, August 11, 2016, at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton.

She was born on May 20, 1935, in Philadelphia, PA, and given the name Mary Ellen. She was the daughter of the late Frank and Bridget McGinley Smith. She entered the IHM Congregation in Immaculata, PA, on September 8, 1955, and made her temporary profession of vows on August 15, 1957, and her final profession of vows on August 15, 1962. She joined the IHM Congregation in Scranton, PA, in 1982.

Sister Ellen served as a teacher at the following schools: St. Edmond Elementary School in Philadelphia, PA, from 1957 to 1961; Holy Family School in Philadelphia, PA, from 1961 to 1965; Nuestra Senora Del Carmen School in Lima, Peru, from 1965 to 1970; St. Anastasia School in Newtown Square, PA, from 1970 to 1971; St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary School in Philadelphia, PA, from 1971 to 1975; St. William School in Philadelphia, PA, from 1975 to 1976; St. Peter’s Elementary School in Reading, PA, from 1976 to 1979; St. Francis de Sales School in Philadelphia, PA, from 1979 to 1982; St. Matthew Elementary School in East Stroudsburg, PA, from 1982 to 1984; St. Ann’s Elementary School in New York, NY, from 1984 to 1987; Mother Seton Academy in Baltimore, MD, from 1996 to 1998; and at Aquinas High School in Bronx, NY, in 2002.

Sister served as principal at the following schools: St. Ephrem Elementary School in Brooklyn, NY, from 1989 to 1993; and as co-principal at Mother Seton Academy in Baltimore, MD, from 1993 to 1996 and as assistant principal there from 2003 to 2007.

Sister Ellen also served as co-director of Nuestra Senora Del Carmen School in Lima, Peru, from 1987 to 1989; on the IHM Congregation Leadership Team in Scranton as Councilor for Missioning and Community Life from 1998 to 2002; instructor at the IHM Education Enrichment Institute in Scranton, PA, from 2007 to 2009; and as instructor of English as a Second Language at Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Scranton, PA, in 2009.

From 2009 until the time of her death, Sister Ellen served as a prayer minister at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Spanish/history from Immaculata University and a Master of Science degree in Education from Temple University.

She was preceded in death by four brothers, Jack, James, Joseph, and Robert; and a sister, Anne Martin.

She is survived by two brothers, Frank and his wife Mary Ellen of Philadelphia, and Patrick of Philadelphia; and two sisters, Susan Particelli and her husband Robert of Philadelphia, and Margaret (Peggy) Brown and her husband Thomas of Drexel Hill, PA; and nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. She is also survived by the members of the IHM Congregation.

The funeral will be Tuesday, August 16, 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, August 15, 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.

Funeral: https://video.ibm.com/recorded/90565744

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Reflection given by Sister Ellen Maroney, IHM Congregation President

Sister Ellen Smith, Funeral August 16, 2016

“I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.” Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

This prayer of Thomas Merton speaks to me of both the darkness of the disease that seemed to steal Ellen from us these last years and the irrepressible, profound faith of a life lived in total trust in God’s unbounded love and care. Right up to the day she died, Ellen kept her sweet disposition and sense of integrity, which often found a way to touch those closest to her despite her illness. In truth, throughout her life, Ellen possessed a passion for living and a love which she shared with family, friends, and all she met. Hers was a
journey of unbounded joy, generous giving and sacred meaning.

Her faith and openness toward all was nurtured first by her loving parents and nine siblings. It’s easy to see why Ellen adjusted so quickly to community life when she entered the convent–she had a novitiate of sorts just growing up! No wonder she hated vegetables–they were probably cold by the time they got around to her at the dinner table! And imagine the line-up for showers or baths! She knew all about rank long before she entered! The home, then, truly is where the qualities we came to love in Ellen were formed: gracious and gentle, kind, patient with others, understanding and generous, warm and grateful, enthusiastic, humble and faithful. These were the same qualities that came to characterize her as an IHM.

So today we give gratitude for the unique and wonderful life of Ellen and the ways she shared that life and love with us as sister, aunt, teacher, principal, councilor, and friend. Her passion for teaching and for the poor took her to schools in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, and Peru. She was a master teacher who possessed the extraordinary gift of being able to reach even the most difficult students wherever she went. She loved them unconditionally and they saw and responded to her genuineness. Those same qualities were the hallmark of her term in congregational leadership as a Councilor for Missioning and Community Life and later as a prayer minister here at OLP. Those who lived and ministered with Ellen shared stories about her many kindnesses, her humor, her life-long penchant for getting lost even with the written directions in her hand, her life dedicated to prayer and relationship with all, especially her God. She understood deeply that love of God and love of others is what truly matters, and her life taught all of us about the profound impact of a single life lived in service to others. We have been blessed to know her.

We remember very specially today Ellen’s parents, Bridget and Frank, and her sister, Anne, and her brothers, Jack, James, Joseph, and Robert, who have gone before her and with whom she is celebrating a joyous reunion in heaven today.

We pray for those people whose lives were touched by Ellen’s joy and compassion, especially her sisters and brothers, Peggy, Susie, Frank, and Patrick, their families, her cousins, her Band members, her Immaculata and Scranton IHM sisters, her many friends, all who lived and ministered with her, and all her caregivers.

Ellen entered fully into the lives of those she met. Her presence among us encouraged and comforted us. Her compassion for others softened our hearts. Her searching for life’s meaning drew us ever closer to the God in whom she had absolute trust. Her life gave us
memories and lessons too beautiful to forget and a love eternally embedded in our hearts. Her special love of music and song will forever connect us to her God-soul.

I found the following prayer on the inside cover of the invitation to Ellen’s mass of incorporation in 1984 and I think it captures Ellen’s awareness of her own life, and all of our lives, on this earth as a journey toward our true home with our loving Creator.

God,
Never let me forget I am a pilgrim on
the way home.
Teach me to seek you, meet you, and
know you as I travel the way.
Especially I pray that you give me
faithful companions
Who will let me rest–but never stop,
Who will challenge me in my
comfortableness,
Strengthen me in my weakness,
Support me in the sufferings all
journeys involve,
And share with me the joy of traveling,
seeking, and finding
our way home together.
This I ask through Christ, Your Son and
my brother,
the Pilgrim and the Way,
now and forever. Amen.

There is no doubt that Ellen, our pilgrim and faithful companion, has indeed found her way home ahead of us and enjoys the fullness of peace and joy she so richly deserves.

And so I now ask Peggy, Susie, and Pat to place Ellen’s Spanish bible and her English bible on her casket, for indeed, Ellen heard the Word of God, she staked her life upon it, and received life to the full . . . the Word now beckons her home.