WESTFIELD- Sister Mary Moriarty died on Tuesday April 5th, 2016, at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Ossining, NY. Sister Mary was 91 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 50 years. Mary Moriarty was born in Westfield, MA, June 27, 1925 to Margaret (Maloney) Moriarty and John Joseph Moriarty. She had one brother John and one sister, Jeannette. Her brother, sister and both parents have predeceased her.
She graduated from St. Mary’s High School, Westfield, MA in 1941. She then attended Bennett Secretarial School in Westfield. She had almost 10 years of experience as a professional secretary when she entered the Maryknoll Sisters Congregation from St. Mary’s Parish in Westfield, MA on September 6, 1951 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Ossining, NY. At her reception, she received the religious name, Sister Paul Mary. She made her First Profession of Vows on March 7, 1954 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center and her Final Vows on March 7, 1960 in Tanzania, East Africa.
When Sister Mary professed her first set of vows her vast experience and expertise as a secretary and bookkeeper were recognized and she was assigned to the General Bursar’s Office at the Maryknoll Sisters Center until 1958 when she received her overseas assignment to Tanzania. There she became the Sisters’ regional treasurer from 1958-2001. She first went to Morogoro, TZ where she was catechist and bursar until 1960. She then moved to Rosana, TZ, where she was house superior, bursar, religion teacher, pastoral worker and bookkeeper. In 1965, she was relocated to Makoko, TZ where she was again superior of the house as well as involved in social service, youth work and nursery school education.
Following her renewal in 1967, she returned to Musoma, Tanzania where she worked as personal Secretary to Bishop John Rudin of Musoma Diocese until 1980. She also served as diocesan treasurer and part time catechetical and pastoral worker. Later, from 1980 to 1987 she was secretary to Archbishop Anthony Mayala and treasurer of the diocese. From 1988 to 1995, she was secretary to the Tanzania Regional Superior of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers.
In addition to all of this, Sister Mary was Director of the Mwembeni Social Center intermittently from 1977 – 2001, where she taught English and typing classes. In 2000, she founded a youth center, a nursery and a library in Musoma and worked with women. In 2006-2007, she was administrator of a sports center project. In recognition of Sister Mary’s many works performed in the Diocese of Musoma, she was awarded the Pope’s Cross “Pro Ecclesia” during the golden anniversary of the diocese in 2007.
She returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in August of 2008 where she died on April 5, 2016.
