Age 87
One word aptly describes Sister Judy – unforgettable. She connected with people wherever she went and was very generous with her talents and her time.
She first met the Sisters of Mercy at Saint James School in Red Bank, New Jersey. She entered the Sisters of Mercy in Watchung, New Jersey, at the age of 18 after graduating from Red Bank Catholic High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in art from Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey, and a master’s degree in art from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
Judy taught art for 25 years at Mercy-sponsored high schools, including ten years at Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung and eight years at Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. She then ministered as a substance abuse counselor for three years at Sunrise House in Lafayette, New Jersey, and for seven years at St. Clare’s Medical Center in Boonton, New Jersey.
Since 2000, Sister Judy shared her technology and artistic skills with the local Watchung community, creating monthly newsletters and sending out announcements to connect the sisters. In 2006 she established “Catherine’s Legacy” designing beautiful, inspirational cards. In recent years she established a large following with her Facebook postings which offered uplifting poems and quotes each day along with a sketch by Judy.
Sister often sketched those she met, be it the waitress at the diner or the receptionist at the doctor’s office. She would hand out cards containing her sketches of Jesus to the staff at the hospital. Her artwork is found throughout the community including an oil painting of Mother Mary Patrick in the infirmary. Her cards and postings reflected her desire to help people ponder the spiritual in their lives.