Age 90
Sister Peg (Malachy) O’Neill was a Sister of Mercy for 72 years. She entered the Sisters of Mercy from Cathedral High School and St. Philomena Parish in 1950 and made final vows in 1956.
In addition to a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Mercy College (now Carlow University), she earned a Master of Arts from the University of Notre Dame.
Sister Peg taught at various area Catholic schools, the last being St. Peter’s High School in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. When that school closed, she founded and was the director of The Intersection in 1972 to provide direct services to people in the McKeesport area. It was the center of her life and making everyone welcome was her primary goal. The Intersection celebrates 50 years of service this year.
She said, “I was so impressed by the way Jesus helped the ‘poor’ that I started a place amid poor people and spent the rest of my working years there.” The love of the poor defined her work and her life. She extended warm hospitality to everyone and treated people with dignity. Proud of her Irish Mercy heritage, Peg entertained with her quick Irish wit and engaging sense of humor.