Age 87
Sister Mary Augustine O’Connor possessed a deep love of God and compassion for her brothers and sisters exemplified in her many years as an educator, pastoral minister and a pursuer of the truth.
Born in County Kerry, Ireland, she entered the Sisters of Mercy in Auburn, California, in 1952 at the age of 15. Her sister, Sister Mary Cornelius followed her, entering the Sisters of Mercy seven years later.
Blessed with excellent organizational skills, Sister Mary Augustine spent ten years in the purchasing department at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, California, Mercy Hospital in Redding, California, and at the Motherhouse in Auburn.
Sister Mary Augustine earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Dominican College in San Raphael, California, and master degrees in theology and education administration from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California. She spent 34 years teaching elementary school and two years as a principal in the Diocese of Sacramento. She inspired students with her love of learning, urging all to reach their full potential. Creative, direct and compassionate, her students thrived under her guidance.
In 2006, she left the field of education to become a pastoral minister at Mercy McMahon Terrace in Sacramento, California, and ministered to the residents there for ten years. Eventually, her declining health led her to the ministry of prayer at Our Lady of Lourdes, at Mercy Convent, Auburn.