Age 100
Sister Helen’s Irish Catholic heritage and strong faith, witnessed by her parents and teachers, inspired and supported her response to God’s call to religious life as a Sister of Mercy.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Irish parents, Helen attended primary school for two years in Ireland. She also attended St. Timothy Parish School and then Little Flower High School, both in Philadelphia. She entered the Sisters of Mercy in Merion, Pennsylvania, at the age of 18 inspired by her motto, “Thy Will Be Done.”
Helen earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in English from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. She taught her first seven years in elementary schools in the Philadelphia and Allentown, Pennsylvania, dioceses. Next, she ministered for 17 years as a Math, English and religion high school teacher at Mercy Technical School, Little Flower High School, Bishop McDevitt, and Bishop Conwell High Schools in Philadelphia and Walsingham Academy in Williamsburg, Virginia.
The next phase of Helen’s journey led her to a range of roles at Gwynedd Mercy University in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, including educator, admissions director, and director of international student services. Inn that position, Helen served as a welcoming, encouraging presence for students learning in a new country.
Helen delighted in celebrating March 17 as her feast day, along with St. Patrick. With her fun-loving, friendly spirit, vivacious personality, and endless energy, Helen volunteered for twelve years at the Wellness Center at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Pennsylvania.
Helen lived for a century with a joyful spirit and boundless energy, offering compassion and care to those in need.