Sister Mary Jane Maloney, IHM

Sister Mary Jane Maloney, IHM, (formerly known as Sister M. St. Peter) of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, PA.

Born on June 7, 1932, in Flushing, NY, Sister Mary Jane was the daughter of the late Martin Joseph and Christine Elizabeth Chmela Maloney. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 8, 1950, made temporary profession of her vows on August 2, 1953, and final profession of her vows on August 2, 1956.  Sister Mary Jane received a Bachelor of Arts degree in education, a Master of Science degree in education, and a Master of Arts degree in music, all from Marywood College.

Sister Mary Jane served as a music teacher at the following schools: Our Lady of Good Counsel Elementary School in Inwood, NY, from 1953 to 1955; St. Patrick Elementary School in White Haven, PA, from 1955 to 1958; St. John the Evangelist Elementary School in Silver Spring, MD, from 1958 to 1960; St. Mary Elementary School in Hollidaysburg, PA, from 1960 to 1961; Holy Angels Elementary School in Pittsburgh, PA, from 1961 to 1962; St. John the Baptist Elementary School in Pittsburgh, PA, from 1962 to 1967; St. Charles Borromeo Elementary School in Sugar Notch, PA, from 1967 to 1971; Holy Name of Jesus Elementary School in Forty Fort, PA, from 1971 to 1974; St. Mary Elementary School in Avoca, PA, from 1971 to 1974; St. Cecilia Elementary School in Exeter, PA, from 1971 to 1975; St. Mary Elementary School in Goldsboro, NC, from 1975 to 1983; St. Raymond Elementary School in East Rockaway, NY, from 1983 to 1993; Sacred Heart High School and St. Rose Elementary School in Carbondale, PA, from 1993 to 1996; Blessed Sacrament Elementary School in Staten Island, NY, from 1996 to 2007; and St. Ephrem Elementary School in Brooklyn, NY, from 2007 to 2020.

From 2020 until the time of her death, Sister Mary Jane was a prayer minister at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton.

Sister Mary Jane is survived by two sisters, Doris Donohue and husband Frank, of Riverhead, NY, and Christine Hall and husband, Terry, of Urbandale, IA, and several cousins. She is also survived by the members of the IHM Congregation.

The funeral will be Tuesday, August 27, 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 Tuesday, August 27 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 Tuesday at St. Catherine’s Cemetery in Moscow, PA.

Prayer of Remembrance and Funeral Mass

Reflection

Given by Sister Judy O’Brien, IHM Leadership Team Member

Last Saturday on August 17, we received notice that Sister Mary Jane was being released from the hospital, back to OLP, on hospice.  My plan for the day had been to take my 6-year-old granddaughter Avery, who was here from Boston, to visit OLP and have dinner with the sisters here.  As we were arriving, the ambulance was at the front door bringing her home.  She was, of course, being received with open arms and the most tender of care by our nursing and personal care staff, to her familiar space called home. I witnessed Anne Boylan stop everything she was doing to make sure all was ready for her return, and making Mary Jane comfortable and at ease was her singular priority.  There are no words to express the gratitude we have for all of our care-takers here at OLP.

At around 1:30 I went in to see Mary Jane.  She looked lovely.  For those of you who may not know, looking nice was very important to Mary Jane, and she always succeeded. In fact, it is well known that Sisters Mary Jane and Felicia were the best dressed nuns in Brooklyn and this Saturday was no exception.  Her hair was done beautifully, her blue, lace trimmed night gown matched her sheets and she was so peaceful.  As I approached her bed and took her hand in mine and she opened her eyes and whispered “Hi Judy” Then she closed her eyes.  I told her that we loved her and were praying for her as she moved along her sacred journey.  She responded, “I can feel the prayers.”  For anybody who has not had the privilege of being with a person who is taking the next step in life’s transitions, I really wish that experience for you.

My eyes shifted to the top of her dresser.  There sat a transistor radio that looked like something manufactured in the nineteen fifties, a little perforated black oblong box with a silver antenna reaching to the sky for its signal and playing, to my surprise, quite loudly, was music from the 80s, my music and also hers.  Music was Mary Jane’s mission and ministry in life.  For 67 years, she taught and imparted one of life’s greatest gifts, the gift of music.  For us IHMs, music, art, literature and poetry are at the core of our mission and this beautiful woman passed that on to hundreds and hundreds of children. From Bach to Neil Diamond they sang and danced and they were happy.  This is the extraordinary legacy she leaves. Mary Jane Maloney, IHM, The Music Woman who spent life teaching the universal language called music, all in the name of IHM.  Thank you, Mary Jane, for a life well lived among us. The poet, Percy Shelly expresses it this way:

“Music when soft voices die
vibrates in the memory”

Beautiful, Mary Jane our musician, you live on in our memory. May a choir of lute playing, and singing angels, clad in gorgeous woven cloth lead you home today.  Amen.