Sister Mary Serafine Della Croce was born on August 24, 1932. In her biography she wrote: “My parents, Serafina Alvano and Louis Della Croce, were of Italian descent. I was the first of five children and was baptized Antoinette. Two years later, my brother, Louis, was born, and he was followed by Salvadore, Anthony, and Michael. Both my parents were from large families, so I had plenty of playmates.
I entered a public school Kindergarten at the age of four. The next year, I was able to attend the Nativity of the Blessed Mary School for Kindergarten. The Ursuline sisters taught there and I stayed there until the fourth grade. In the summer of 1941, I entered St. Rita School in Brooklyn taught by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. When I was in the fifth grade, I made a trip to Fort Lee, N.J. where I met Juniorate girls for the first time. I became very interested in going there when I graduated. My grandmother convinced my mother to let me go. I entered the School Sisters of Notre Dame because I was inspired and impressed by the sisters who taught me, and because I always wanted to be a teacher. My years at the Juniorate were very happy and passed quickly.”
On August 28, 1950, 56 candidates entered the motherhouse in Baltimore. In September 1950, Antoinette was sent to teach fourth grade at St. Leo School in Baltimore. She remained there for a year and a half and completed the year by going to Frostburg, Maryland. Antoinette entered the novitiate and received the name Serafine on July 16, 1952. She was so happy with the choice of her name because it was her mother’s.
Following her religious profession, on July 24, 1953, Sister Serafine was sent to teach the sixth grade at Mt. Carmel in Poughkeepsie, NY, from 1953 to 1956. This was followed by seven years teaching at St. Joseph School in Lake Ronkonkoma, NY (1956 to 1963) and eight years at St. Anthony of Padua, Ozone Park, NY. From 1971-1980, Serafine served as principal of St. Anselm School in Brooklyn, and from 1980 to 1984 was principal of St. Saviour in Brooklyn.
Following a sabbatical/renewal year from 1984-1985, Sister Serafine taught at St. John the Evangelist in Leonia, NJ. from 1985-1987. She then served as principal of St. Matthias, Queens, NY from 1987-2000 and director of the Child Development Center at Wilton from 2000-2002. For four years, she taught small classes in math and reading at St. Catherine School in Trumbull.
In 2013, Sister Serafine came to live at Villa Notre Dame, where she enriched community life by proving herself a good listener and an enthusiastic participant in community activities and diversions, including the card games she greatly enjoyed. Sister Serafine also enjoyed visits to and from her family, of which she was a cherished member. She recently celebrated her 85th birthday with a large family gathering.
In the last few months of her life, Sister Serafine’s health deteriorated gradually. She was admitted briefly to Notre Dame Rehabilitation Center and, when her condition worsened, to Norwalk Hospital. She died peacefully there surrounded by her sisters, who kept vigil with her in her final days.
Sister Serafine died on February 2, 2018. Her wake, held at Villa Notre Dame on February 5, was attended by many family members, community members and friends. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at the Villa chapel on February 6, followed by her burial at St. Mary Cemetery, Bethel.
Serafine was predeceased by her brother, Louis of Springfield, Mass. She is mourned by her brothers: Anthony of Bethpage, NY; Salvatore of Staten Island, NY; and Michael of Bayside, NY, their wives, families, and friends, and by the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
One of the Burial Mass intentions was: In thanksgiving for Serafine’s life as an educator, for her loving compassion to the teachers, students, and parents to whom she ministered. This was further evidenced by these words of a former student: “Sister Serafine was my eighth grade teacher at St. Anthony of Padua School in South Ozone Park in 1970-71. She was an excellent teacher, compassionate and fair! I had a great experience with her and my thoughts have and always will been with her. May she rest in peace with the eternal knowledge that she lived a beautiful, productive, loving life. God just received another angel.”
- Sister Julianna Poole, SSND
