Sister Mary Newett, IHM

Sister Mary Newett, IHM, (formerly known as Sister M. St. Leonard) of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, PA.

She was born on August 24, 1928, in Detroit, MI, and given the name Mary Gertrude. Sister Mary was the daughter of the late Leonard and Alice Higginson Newett. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 8, 1946, made temporary profession of her vows on May 9, 1949, and final profession of her vows on August 2, 1952. Sister Mary received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and a Master of Science degree in religious studies, both from Marywood College, and a Master of Arts degree in Spanish from the University of Notre Dame.

Sister Mary served as a teacher in the following schools: Mother of Mercy Elementary School in Washington, NC, from 1949 to 1950; St. John the Evangelist Elementary School in Silver Spring, MD, from 1950 to 1953; St. Mary Elementary School in Manhasset, NY, from 1953 to 1967; Immaculate Heart of Mary High School in Philadelphia, PA, from 1967 to 1968; Maria Regina Diocesan High School in Uniondale, NY, from 1968 to 1973; and St. Mark’s High School in Wilmington, DE, from 1973 to 1974.

Sister served as a pastoral minister at: Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Takoma Park, MD, from 1974 to 1978; St. James Parish in Mt. Rainer, MD, from 1974 to 1978; Spanish Catholic Center in Silver Spring, MD, from 1978 to 1979; St. Boniface Parish in Williamsport, PA, from 1979 to 1981; St. John the Evangelist Parish in Clinton, MD, from 1984 to 1986; Resurrection Parish in Burtonsville, MD, from 1986 to 1990; St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Silver Spring, MD, from 1990 to 1994; St. Bernard Parish in Riverdale, MD, from 1994 to 1996; St. Anthony Claret Parish in Lakewood, NJ, from 1997 to 2001; and Greenspring Village in Springfield, VA, from 2001 to 2010.  

Sister Mary also served as director of spiritual development at St. Mary’s Parish in Alexandria, VA, from 1981 to 1982; director of religious education at Mount Carmel Parish in Asbury Park, NJ, from 1982 to 1983; director of religious education at St. Edward the Confessor Parish in Bowie, MD, from 1983 to 1984; and instructor for Everyday English for Adults Program at the IHM Center in Scranton, PA, from 2010 to 2014.

From 2014 until the time of her death, Sister Mary was a prayer minister at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton.

She was preceded in death by a brother, George, and two sisters, Sister Kathleen, IHM and Ann Weiman. Sister Mary is survived by a sister-in-law, Constance Newett of Silver Spring, MD; nieces, Pat Eller of Crofton, MD, and Maureen Rankin of Moorepark, CA; nephew, Steven Wieman of Chesapeake, VA; dear friends Maria Viatori, ocd, Mary and Michael Herr, and Theresa McCabe. She is also survived by the members of the IHM Congregation.

The funeral will be Friday, September 13, 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, September 13, between 10:00 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 of Remembrance and Funeral Mass

Eulogy for Sister Mary Newett by Sister Maria Viatori, OCD

A Woman on Fire with Love for God and God’s People

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.   Matthew 9:36

Several years ago, I visited Mary at Our Lady of Peace and as our conversation veered into serious territory, she told me at the completion of her earthly life she did not want to have a time of remembrance because she did not feel that people could testify to the important aspects of her life.  I nodded my head and listened to her pragmatic request; however, I knew that her wishes would take a detour if her friends and family members had a vote.

During our subsequent visits, she conveyed the milestones of her religious life.  The breakthrough moment for Mary occurred when she read “The Nun in the Modern World” by Cardinal Leo Jozef Suenens. That book and the tenants from Vatican II opened the windows and let the Holy Spirit flood her life.  It enlightened her trajectory as a woman religious on fire with the love of God.

She told me of the experience she had while teaching at Saint Mark’s in Delaware. At the time the IHM Residence was filled to capacity, so she had to live with the Sisters of Saint Joseph. She had heard that some of the sisters were ministering to people of Hispanic origins.  Mary became aware of their plight in not having adequate spiritual and pastoral accompaniment within the Roman Catholic Church. This awareness ignited her and deepened her sense of mission to the abandoned and under-served. She was impelled by the zeal of St. Alphonsus Liguori and the determination of St. Teresa of Avila to following the ways of Jesus Christ in welcoming the stranger.

In the mid-seventies Mary began her ministry to the Hispanic people at Our Lady of Sorrows in Tacoma Park, MD. This was a turning point in the history of IHM as sisters were venturing into “new – nontraditional ministries”. It was a challenging time to say the least. Some sisters could not understand why she left the classroom. In these turbulent times, Mary was a witness to fidelity to prayer, love for her community and dedication to her ministry.

Mary was graced by God in her pilgrimage toward authenticity, integrity and wholeness.  She was comfortable in her own skin and knew to whom she belonged – Jesus Christ, her Savior and Lord. Mary was a very wise woman who had the gift to sift through the chaff and see the essentials in life and point to the truth. This wisdom came from a life-long commitment to prayer. Praying with the Scriptures was one of the anchors in her life that grounded her being. She wanted those around her to know the treasure and gift it is to pray with the Word of God.

Embodying the vision of Vatican II for growth in collaboration, inclusion and welcome, Mary encountered some resistant responses from her male clerical counterparts. Although it must have been frustrating, Mary pressed on knowing that her life was about serving the people of God and spreading the good news of God’s redeeming love and not vying for recognition or status. This focus shaped how she served in all her ministries.

Mary’s vision for the Church was dynamic. Her desire was that all people should know the deep love of God and that the Church should do all in its power to make that a lived reality. She yearned for the day when all people could receive the Eucharist. The highest priority was that we remain a sacramental church for all people in every corner of the world. Mary truly had a missionary heart and wanted others to know the redeeming love of God that radiated through her own life.

In her last years at Our Lady of Peace, Mary would gently tell us that she was ready for God to take her home. She knew that her life would not end but be radically changed and transformed into the very heart of God. This was the final bit of wisdom that she wanted to convey to us.

At the sight of the crowds, Mary Newett’s heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. (adapted from Matthew 9:36)

Mary, we are all so very grateful for your abiding presence in our lives. May you be enfolded in God’s loving embrace for all eternity.