Sister Earl Mary Moores died peacefully on November 17, 2017, at Lourdes Health Care Center in Wilton, Conn. She was 80 years old and had been a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 60 years.
Born on April 9, 1937, in Glen Cove, New York, Merle Louise was baptized a few months later at St. Patrick Church in Glen Cove. Eventually Merle would be the oldest of eight children, seven girls and one boy.
During the seventh grade, Merle began to think about becoming a School Sister of Notre Dame and asked her parents for permission to go to the SSND Aspiranture in Fort Lee, NJ, where she spent her high school years. When at home during the summer, she worked at Glen Cove Community Hospital to help her parents support their growing family.
Merle received the bonnet on August 29, 1955 and, with several others, entered the candidature in Baltimore. She studied that first year at Notre Dame Teacher Training School and then, on July 13, 1956, entered the novitiate, receiving the name Earl Mary. While she was a novice, Sister Earl Mary’s sister Virginia was in the candidature and a new baby sister named Kate was born into the family.
During 1957-1958 Sister Earl Mary studied at Notre Dame of Maryland. She then taught at St. Benedict School in Baltimore (1958-64); St. Boniface, Philadelphia (1964-66); and St. Lawrence, Sayville, Long Island (1966-78). For the next 38 years (1978-2016) Sister Earl Mary lived at St. Matthias Convent in Ridgewood, NY, and taught history in the school.
While she was at St. Matthias, the first “Octoberfest” took place at Villa Notre Dame. It was a time when former acquaintances enjoyed each other and their skills. Sister Earl Mary took a special interest in organizing baked goods. Her ability to attract buyers made her many friends. She was also noted for the variety of jams she made during the summer.
After retiring in 2012 as a full time history teacher at St. Matthias, Sister Earl Mary continued to work for peace and justice, a theme of her teaching and ministry, by volunteering at the SSND Educational Center in Woodhaven, NY. She also was a regular volunteer at St. Matthias’ Lunch Program for the Homeless.
On June 14, 2016, St. Matthias School and Parish Community honored Sister Earl Mary, along with all the sisters who had taught generations of their children since 1910. The gathering was also a farewell for the five sisters living at St. Matthias, who were moving to Villa Notre Dame in Wilton.
Shortly after moving to the Villa on August 30, 2016, Sister Earl Mary became a member of Caroline Community. She liked to help where needed and could often be seen distributing mail and decorating the dining rooms. Her community members were gifted by her quiet presence and commitment to prayer.
During the autumn days of this past October, Sister Earl Mary was admitted to Norwalk Hospital. That stay was followed by a move to Lourdes Health Care Center. It was while at Lourdes, surrounded by her SSND sisters, that she peacefully said her final farewell on November 17, 2017.
The wake service for Sister Earl Mary was held on November 20. Sister Marie Justine Nutz led the Villa Notre Dame community, several family members, and friends in prayer and sharing. That Sister Earl Mary was loved by the children, faculty and parents of St. Matthias School was evident from the “Prayer Chain” made by the children that was draped along the wall leading to the chapel.
The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on November 21, in the chapel of Villa Notre Dame. Mass was celebrated by the VND chaplain, Rev. Thomas Elliott, C.S.C. Deacon John Sands, a longtime friend of Sister Earl Mary from St. Matthias, was the homilist. He spoke movingly of Sister Earl Mary being a model for us as we follow her to our eternal life with God. In her office book Earl Mary wrote, “I am safe, known intimately, chosen, treasured, and empowered by my God.”
Sister Earl Mary is survived by her sisters and their husbands: Virginia and Carmine Macedonio; Lorraine and Robert Manning; Mary and Michael Antanaitis; and Anne and Edward Klein; sister Elizabeth Peters, and brother Joseph and his wife Maria.
