Sister M. Celsus Gavin, IHM

Sister M. Celsus Gavin, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Wednesday, April 26, 1944, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Carbondale, PA.

She was born on April 9, 1885 in Scranton, PA, and given the name Mary. She was the daughter of the late Stephen and Elizabeth Hunt Gavin. She entered the IHM Congregation on May 1, 1909, received the religious habit on December 29, 1909, and made profession of her vows on December 27, 1911.

Sister Celsus served as a teacher at the following schools: St. Patrick Elementary School in White Haven, PA; St. Leo Elementary School in Ashley, PA; St. Peter of Alcantara Elementary School in Port Washington, NY; St. Basil Elementary School in Dushore, PA; and St. John the Evangelist Elementary School in Pittston, PA.

She was preceded in death by two sisters, Cecilia and Bridget.

She is survived by four brothers, Jerome of Dalton, MA, Stephen Jr., of Los Angeles, CA, Joseph of San Jose, CA, and John of Texas; two sisters, Margaret Gavin and Anne Gavin, both of Sacramento, CA; nieces and nephews.

The funeral will be Friday, April 28 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Catherine’s Church in Moscow, PA. Interment will follow at St. Catherine’s Cemetery in Moscow. Friends may call on Thursday at St. Agnes Place in Elmhurst, PA.

“Saint Patrick’s School, Spangler, was opened September, 1912. Though not a Benedictine Parish, Saint Patrick’s is in the midst of the beautiful country that for years, has been sanctified by the presence of Benedictine Monks. The region is intensely Catholic and Saint Patrick’s Parochial School is flourishing. This mission was opened by the following Sisters: Sister M. Bernardine, superior. Sister M. Justina, Sister M. Nazaretta, Sister M. Uriel, and Sister M. Celsus. The formal opening took place September 12th. Mass was celebrated by the Right Reverend Eugene Garvey, who also preached on Christian education. ”

Excerpted from The Sisters of the I.H.M.: The Story of The Founding of The Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Their Work In The Scranton Diocese by Sister M. Immaculata Gillespie, IHM, P.J. Kenedy & Sons, NY, 1921, p. 322