Age 94
Inviting, welcoming, and accompanying faith-seeking adults was Sister Miriam Theresa’s greatest joy and a treasured gift to countless souls whose lives she influenced and inspired.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania of Irish parents, Theresa’s faith was rooted in her Irish Catholic heritage, passed down by her parents and nurtured through her Catholic education. Inspired by her motto, “Love is repaid by Love alone,” Sister Miriam lived her motto in her ministries, repaying the love she knew with a joyful, kind, merciful, and welcoming presence to all she met.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. Miriam Theresa served as a teacher in parish schools in the Philadelphia and Allentown Dioceses for 26 years. She also served as principal for four years at Sacred Heart School in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania and for one year at St. Rose of Lima School in North Wales, Pennsylvania.
Earning a master’s degree in theology from La Salle College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, prepared her for the next 28 years as pastoral minister and coordinator of adult education. This phase of her journey led her to the South, where she ministered in Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida sharing her zeal for bringing souls to know and love God.
After 17 years in the South, Sister Miriam Theresa returned home and began her ministry as a volunteer in the gift shop at Mercy Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later served as a greeter in the North Lobby at Fitzgerald Mercy Hospital in Darby, Pennsylvania. Her warm, enthusiastic welcome put visitors at ease, and her loving care made a meaningful difference in their day.
As a sister in community, Miriam Theresa was full of life: kind, loving, positive, upbeat, and fun, always with a smile and an interest in others. An avid Philadelphia sports fan, she was a self-appointed sideline coach for the Eagles, Jeopardy Junkie, an admirer of Dancing with the Stars, and a lover of games.