Sister Miriam McGuire, SSND
August 5, 1923 – February 3, 2024
Miriam McGuire was the third child of Thomas James McGuire and Teresa McAvaney, natives of County Leitrim, Ireland, who had emigrated to Medford, Massachusetts. She was born on August 5, 1923, into a family of two older brothers and eventually three younger sisters. SSNDs were the teachers at her schools in nearby, Malden—Immaculate Conception Grade and Girls Catholic High School.
After graduation in 1941, Miriam received the bonnet in the convent chapel and began her Candidature on August 28 in Baltimore. At Christmastime, she returned home for a rest because of sickness. In the middle of March, at the invitation of the principal, she began to substitute in the third grade for a sister who had become ill. In her autobiography she commented tersely, “It was an experience that I will never forget.”
Miriam returned to Baltimore on August 28, 1942. An appendectomy and thyroid operation did not prevent her Reception into the novitiate on July 14, 1944 with the religious name, Mary Muriel. She wrote in her autobiography, “My vocation was discovered as the result of a novena made to Our Blessed Mother, and I felt a special calling to this particular Order.” First profession took place on July 31, 1945.
At St. Patrick School in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, Muriel spent the next 17 years as a grade school teacher. Her next mission was also a long assignment, from 1962 to 1975 at Bishop Kearney (BK) High School, in Rochester, NY. She was one of the pioneers of what was nicknamed the “Lewis and Clark Expedition.” Sister Louis Whalen, SSND, and Brother Mark Clark, CFC (Irish Christians Brothers), were the first administrators of the two sides of the new school.
In 1955 Miriam had been awarded the B.A. degree in Latin, with a minor in English, at Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York. Sister Evelyn Breslin recently reached out to alumni from those early BK classes. One of her students in the class of 1968 recalled that, “She was energetic, she made Latin fun with little ditties and cheers to help us remember word endings and tenses. I remember her fondly.” A student in her Spanish classes shared the same memory. Debra Bonsignore, remembers Sister Miriam as "tall, lanky and funny"! Miriam used one of the cheerleader’s pom poms as she sang and danced in the front of the classrooms, "mi mis su sus tu tus nuestra nuestras." Deb still sings those Spanish pronouns in her head!
In 1969, Miriam chaperoned the excellent BK Marching Band to Dublin for its first of many invitations to the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It was an exciting time at the school; many parents also enjoyed the trip, Miriam’s only time in Ireland.
Finally, in 1975 Miriam was called to St. Francis of Assisi Junior High in New Britain, Connecticut, where her sister Irene, Sister Miriam Thomas, was principal. Irene died, very unexpectedly, after a fall there several years later. Miriam and Sister Marie Denise Murphy, as principal, continued to serve there until the school closed in 2006. They then became parish pastoral ministers. One of their much-appreciated innovations was leisurely breakfasts, often in Dunkin’ Donuts, with recent widows. These gave the bereaved women opportunity to speak to sympathetic ears of their feelings as they adjusted.
Miriam and Denise retired together to Villa Notre Dame, Wilton, in 2015, and went to Ozanam Hall in 2020. Here, Miriam celebrated her century of life last August.
Many nieces and nephews and their families joined the Watermark Community at a wake service and funeral liturgy at St. Andrew Church, Bridgeport, on Friday, February 9. Sister Theresa Lamy led the wake at which Miriam’s niece, Miriam Gnieski, who spoke very fondly of “Aunt Mary,” recalling her Christmas gift giving to everyone (wrapping started the day after Thanksgiving), and the many years—at the convent, on home visits and on vacations—the family had known and loved her as she and it grew and changed.
Presider John Mulreaney, S.J. evoked their common Irish heritage in his homily, and spoke appreciatively of her religious life of 80 years on only three missions, “Doing all the good that can be done.” Sisters and nieces placed the pall on the coffin; Sisters placed the customary symbols, while Regine Bruder read their meaning. Jacci Glessner prayed the Intercessions; Anne McCarthy served as minister of the Eucharist. “Mother of Perpetual Help” was the closing hymn. A solemn moment as always was the singing of our SSND Blessing over the coffin just before it leaves the Church.
Burial followed at St. Mary Cemetery Bethel, Connecticut.
Sister Kay O’Connell
