Sister M. Marguerita Carbone, IHM

Sister M. Marguerita Carbone, IHM, of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, PA.

Born on December 6, 1927, in Bronx, NY, and given the name Theresa, Sister Marguerita was the daughter of the late Vincent and Margaret LaVista Carbone. She entered the IHM Congregation on February 2, 1948, made temporary profession of her vows on May 8, 1951, and final profession of her vows on August 2, 1954.  Sister Marguerita received a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education/English, and a Master of Science degree in elementary education/reading, both from Marywood College.

Sister Marguerita served as a teacher at the following schools: Our Lady of Good Counsel Elementary School in Inwood, NY, from 1951 to 1957; Mother of Mercy Elementary School in Washington, NC, from 1957 to 1959; St. Paul Elementary School in Scranton, PA, from 1959 to 1962; St. Rose Elementary School in Carbondale, PA, from 1962 to 1963; St. John the Evangelist Elementary School in Silver Spring, MD, from 1963 to 1967; St. Stephen Elementary School in New York, NY, from 1967 to 1974; and St. Peter of Alcantara Elementary School in Port Washington, NY, from 1974 to 1980. She served as a reading specialist at St. Mark’s High School in Wilmington, DE, from 1980 to 2004; and Immaculate Conception Elementary School in Elkton, MD, from 2005 to 2008.

Sister also served as a caregiver at New Angels of New Castle in Wilmington, DE, from 2004 to 2005; and was a volunteer at the former Franciscan Care Center in Hockessin, DE, from 2009 to 2013.

From 2013 until the time of her death, Sister Marguerita was a prayer minister in Wilmington, DE, and later at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Michael, four sisters, Teresa Carbone (infant), Lucy Fitzgibbons, Christina DePinto, and Maria (Millie) Carbone, and a niece, Christina Heim. Sister Marguerita is survived by a nephew-in-law, Edward Heim; nieces; grandnieces and grandnephews; and a dear friend, Sister Patricia T. Miszczuk, OSF. She is also survived by the members of the IHM Congregation.

The funeral will be Friday, March 7, at 11:00 a.m. with Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Peace Residence, 1510 University Avenue in Dunmore, PA. Friends may call at Our Lady of Peace Residence on Friday, March 7, between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. A prayer service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow Mass on Friday at St. Catherine’s Cemetery in Moscow, PA.

Prayer and Funeral Mass

Reflection

Given by Sister Katie Clauss, IHM Congregation President

Today, we come together to mourn the passing and celebrate the beautiful life of our Sister Marguerita Carbone. We are especially grateful for the presence of her loved ones, including her nephew-in-law, Edward Heim, his daughter, Angela and her children Dea Rose and Nick, and her dearest friend of many years, Franciscan Sister Patricia Therese Miszczuk.

As we honor Marguerita’s life, we also remember those who have gone before her—her father, Vincent, her mother, Margaret, her brother, Vincent, and her sisters, Theresa, Lucy, Christina, and Maria, her cherished niece, Christina, who now welcome her into eternal life.

Now that she has joined her parents, siblings, and niece, I pray she finds herself in a warm and peaceful place in heaven, where she no longer has to battle the cold that often troubled her. No matter how many sweaters, blankets, or quilts surrounded her, warmth always seemed just out of reach. Her sisters, with whom she shared meals, lovingly called her their “Frozen Marguerita,” a nickname that always brought a smile.

While Marguerita may have felt the cold, her heart burned with faith. As an IHM Sister, she lived for 74 years as a prophetic witness to God’s presence in the world.

Reflecting on her life of ministry, I was reminded of a passage from article 5 in our Constitutions, which speaks of our Congregation’s earliest days: The Redemptorist mission led Father Louis Gillet to frontier Michigan in the 1840s, where, in partnership with Mother Theresa Maxis, he founded our Congregation in 1845. Their purpose was to foster the human aspirations of the people—especially the deepening and spreading of faith in Jesus Christ. They chose the work of education as the most appropriate to fulfill their purposes in that time and place.

Like our foundress, Mother Theresa Maxis, who was a teacher, Marguerita devoted herself to fostering the human aspirations of her students—nurturing their minds, bodies, and faith. She spent 56 years in the classroom, igniting a love of learning in countless young minds and hearts.

In Marguerita’s file, I found a beautiful testament to her dedication. In August of 1970, after earning her Master’s Degree in Education and Reading at Marywood College, she requested permission to continue her studies and to pursue certification as a Reading Specialist. She wrote, “the children in my school need a great deal of help learning to read.” By 1974, she had earned her certification and went on to serve as a Reading Specialist for 27 years.

Marguerita embodied the words of Malala Yousafzai, who said: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.

Through her ministry in education, we can only imagine how many lives Marguerita influenced —and how those students, in turn, went out and changed the world.

Beyond the classroom, her years of service as a caregiver for Visiting Angels, as well as her time in prayer ministry in Delaware and at Our Lady of Peace Residence, reflected her joyful, loving, hospitable, and self-emptying service of God’s people. She lived the Gospel message with quiet strength, embodying the very heart of our IHM mission.

Marguerita was faithful to her commitment to her vocation and her life as an IHM Sister. We know that it was God who blessed her with a call to the Congregation.  I believe that as Marguerita’s family and friends walked her journey with her, they helped her to strengthen and live her call to the full.  As we celebrate her fidelity to her vowed life, we celebrate Ed, Angela, Dea Rose, Nick, and Sister Pat’s faithfulness to Marguerita.  Ed’s 8:30, evening phone calls surely brought a warm ending to each day. Pat’s frequent visits brought joy to her heart.

Sister Terri will now place Marguerita’s vow card in her hands.  Marguerita signed this card 74 years ago on the day of her profession.

Go in peace, dear Marguerita, with all our love and gratitude. You heard God’s word, you staked your life on it, and now, at last, the Word of God—Jesus Himself—welcomes you home.