Maryknoll, NY: Sister Joan Frances Delaney, M.M. died on April 28th, 2022 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. She was 92 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 70 years.
Joan was born in Yonkers, New York on March 31st, 1930, to Patrick Delaney and Catherine (Manning) Delaney. She had one sister, Kathleen and one brother, Gerald, both of whom have pre-deceased her.
In 1948, Joan graduated from Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport, CT. Following graduation, she went to Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT, where she studied Sociology and Economics, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1952.
She then entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Maryknoll, New York on September 2nd, 1952. She pronounced her First Profession of Vows on March 7th, 1955 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY and her Final Profession of Vows on March 7th, 1961, in Hong Kong.
In 1955 Sister Joan received her first mission assignment to Hong Kong in the South China Region where she taught from 1955 – 1963. During this time she also continued her education at Hong Kong University, there she received a Post Graduate Certificate in Education in 1958. From 1963 – 1966, she served as Superior in Kowloontong. She then transferred to the University of London and received a Master’s Degree in Education in 1968. Sister Joan returned to Hong Kong to serve as a member of the Regional Governing Board in Programming and Planning and was elected as Regional Due Process Moderator from 1971-1973.
In 1974 she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to serve as a Delegate at the Congregation’s General Assembly. In 1976 she travelled to Rome where she worked on SEDOS (Service of Document and Study) for the next several years until 1980.
From 1982 – 1983, Sister Joan served in Washington, D.C. with CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate). Then in 1983 she went to the Overseas Ministry Study Center where she studied French for 9 months (1995 – 1996). To reward her for her academic achievements, Albertus Magnus College awarded her an Honorary Doctorate in 1987. She then received a special assignment to Geneva, Switzerland and was appointed by Pope John Paul II to the Pontifical Council of Christian Unity in order to work as the Catholic consultant on mission to the World Council of Churches from 1984-1990. In 1990 she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to serve as Director of Mission Research until 1994.
Sister Joan attended OMSC (Overseas Ministries Study Center at Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ) from 1995-1996. She then joined the Maryknoll Sisters community in West Haven, Ct from 1997-2001. She also served as the Administrator of the Center for Global Ministries at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago from 2002-2007 and was a Delegate for the USCCB (U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) as well as Christian Churches Together from 2005-2012.
In 2007, Sister Joan was assigned to the Sisters retirement house in Monrovia, CA where she served as a Coordinating Team Member for two years. In 2013 she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY where she remained until her death.
Funeral Services:
A Vespers service will be held for Sister Joan on May 4th at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. A Mass of the Resurrection will be held on May 5th at 10:00 a.m. also at the Maryknoll Sisters Center. Due to Covid-19, these services will be restricted to members of the Maryknoll Sisters Community.