Maryknoll Sisters

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Agnes Mary Joy, M.M. died on August 13^th, 2020 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll. NY. She was 89 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 66 years! Agnes was born on June 10^th, 1931 in Newburgh, NY to Louise McLaughlin Joy and Edward Joy. She had one sister, Mrs. Jane L. Larkin, who pre-deceased her.

In 1949, she graduated from Mount St. Mary High School in Newburgh, NY. She then attended the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Philosophy in 1953. Agnes then continued her education and earned a Master’s Degree in History at the Catholic University of America in 1955.

After completing her studies, she entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate, Maryknoll, NY on September 2^nd, 1954 (from St. Mary Parish, Newburgh, NY). She made her First Profession of Vows at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY on March 7^th, 1957 and her Final Vows on March 7^th, 1963 in Puerto Armuelles, Panama.

In 1957, after making her First Vows, Sister Agnes was assigned to teach at Colegio San Antonio High School in Puerto Armuelles, Panama. After a few years, in 1963 she relocated to Puebla, Mexico. There, she served as Director of the Jesuit Elementary School until 1967 when she was assigned to the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Valley Park, MO. She then returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY in 1969 to serve as Assistant Director of the Formal Education Department and to serve on the Orientation Team until 1973.

Sister Agnes relocated to Houston, TX in 1973 to serve as Chaplain Intern for the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education Program at Ben Taub Medical Center (located within the Texas Medical Center). In 1979, she was promoted to Supervisor of the Clinical Pastoral Education Program and also served as Director of Chaplains for the hospital for the next 31 years.

Sister Agnes then retired, but remained an active volunteer with the Texas Medical Center. From 2006-2014, she spent her time researching and writing the 60 Year history of Chaplaincy Departments, Prayers, and Pastoral Care in the Hospitals, Clinics, and Health-Care Institution of the Texas Medical Center.

In 2015, Sister Agnes returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to fully retire.

Funeral Services: Sister Agnes’s body was interred in the Maryknoll Sisters cemetery on Tuesday, August 18^th.  Memorial Services are currently pending.

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Anne Marie Callahan, M.M. died on July 30^th, 2020 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. She had been a Maryknoll Sister for 65 years!

Anne was born on July 4^th, 1935 in Lowell, MA to Helen (Monahan) Callahan and Leo Callahan. She had two brothers, Rev. John Callahan (a member of the Maryknoll Society) and William Callahan, MD; both of whom have pre-deceased her.

In 1953, Anne graduated from Notre Dame Academy in Tyngsboro, MA and attended Emmanuel College in Boston, MA from 1953 – 1955. She then entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Maryknoll, NY on September 2^nd, 1955 (from St. Margaret Parish in Boston, MA). She made her First Profession of Vows at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY on June 24^th, 1958 and her Final Profession of Vows on June 24^th, 1964 also at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

In 1958, Sister Anne studied at Maryknoll Teachers College (located on the property of the Maryknoll Sisters Center), earning a Bachelor of Education Degree in 1960. She then transferred to Fordham University where she earned a Master’s Degree in Mathematics in 1962; during this time she also taught at Mary Rogers College, (located on the property of the Maryknoll Sisters Center) until 1967.

Sister Anne was then assigned to Hawaii in 1967 where she taught at Maryknoll High School in Honolulu. There, she also served as Chairman of the Math Department from 1971-1973 and School Principal from 1974-1977. She then returned to Maryknoll, NY and served as Congregational Treasurer from 1977-1984.

In 1986, she was assigned to the Mexico/Guatemala Region to serve as a pastoral worker in a refugee camp in Campeche. In 1991, she relocated to the Mesquital section of Guatemala City to work with a pastoral team in a new parish, serving hundreds of Guatemalan families who had settled on undeveloped land.

Sister Anne returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in 2001 to serve again as Congregational Treasurer until 2004. She was then asked to serve as Coordinator of the Maryknoll Sisters retreat/vacation house in Rhode Island.

In 2007, she was assigned to the Eastern U.S. Region and moved to Baltimore, MD. There, she volunteered her services in the Housing Advocacy Committee in the twin parishes of Most Precious Blood and St. Anthony of Padua. She was also a Eucharistic Minister at Good Samaritan Hospital and a member of the Maryknoll Sisters Regional Finance Committee.

In 2015, Sister Anne returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to retire.

Funeral Services: Sister Anne’s body was interred in the Maryknoll Sisters cemetery.  A Memorial Service was held at the Maryknoll Sisters Center on Monday, August 3^rd.