Age 85
Inspired by her motto, “Thy Will in Love,” Sister Mary Paschal lived an amazing, inspiring life touching each person with tenderness, significant insights, and willingness to do whatever she could to assist.
Born in the Bronx, New York, Sister Mary Paschal entered the Sisters of Mercy at the age of 18 in Tarrytown, New York. She received a bachelor’s degree from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, and a master’s degree in administration from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
After serving as a dietetic intern for a year at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, New York, she worked for two years as a dietician at local Mercy facilities before becoming the director of nutrition for nine years at Uihlein Mercy Center, in Lake Placid, New York. Next, she served as an administrator for 13 years at Mercy General Hospital in Tupper Lake, New York. In 1992, Paschal became administrator of St. Ursula Center, a retirement and retreat center on Long Island in Blue Point, New York, for 13 years.
In 2005, Paschal accepted the role of health care coordinator for the Sisters of Mercy living in the Rockville Centre and Brooklyn Dioceses of New York. She remained in this role until her final months, caring for the Sisters of Mercy living in Maria Regina Nursing Home in Brentwood, New York. In each ministry, in each role, Paschal demonstrated her unique way of helping individuals and providing competent care in a comprehensive, yet personal, way.