Sister Mary

SISTER MARY      ND 4034              ⇒ PDF Download
(formerly Sister Mary Peter)
Mary BRADY

Christ the King Province, Chardon, Ohio, USA

Date and Place of Birth: June 30, 1924 Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Place of Profession: August 16, 1945 Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Place of Death: December 29, 2013 Health Care Center, Chardon
Date and Place of Funeral: January 3, 2014 Chardon, Ohio
Date and Place of Burial: January 3, 2014 Resurrection Cemetery, Chardon, OH

Mary was the eldest of the five children born to Bernard and Mary Gertrude (Schroeter) Brady. Family was a blessing and a source of great joy throughout her life. Mary’s mother was a social worker, her father a lawyer. A love of learning and a desire to reach out to others were lessons Mary treasured.

Upon completing elementary grades at St. Ann School, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Mary, and later her two sisters, attended Notre Dame Academy. It was here that Mary had the opportunity to know and be inspired by the sisters. She entered the Sisters of Notre Dame on September 8, 1942, and at investment received the name Sister Mary Peter, later changed to her baptismal name, Sister Mary.

Sister Mary received a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame College, South Euclid; a master’s degree in education from St. Louis University; and an Advanced Catechetical Diploma from the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Studies in Religious Education, Middleburg, Virginia. Sister ministered in elementary education for four years and for the next forty years as a high school teacher in Ohio and Virginia, specializing in math and Spanish. She then entered into a new ministry in Arlington, Virginia, coordinating an English-as-a-Second Lanuguage program for Hispanic immigrants. “It was both heartening and heart-breaking to hear their stories and sometimes not be able to meet their needs.” After returning to Ohio, Sister volunteered at Notre Dame College and Regina High School and began nine years of tutoring in the Notre Dame Skills lab. “I loved it and was actually sad when weekends came and there was no tutoring,” she would say.

In 2007 Sister Mary moved to the Provincial Center and continued to tutor and assist in community wherever she was needed. Her loving and welcoming spirit extended to the Notre Dame Associates and those she met through hospice ministry. She often had ideas and strong opinions, especially on justice issues, and was an active member of the ND Multicultural Committee until her death. Sister viewed community living as an unparalled blessing, gifting others with her kindness and interest, her humor and ever-present smile. Last March, Sister Mary was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and braved many hours of treatment. Just several weeks ago, she became very weak and knew it was time for our good God to receive her home. Sister was a woman of prayer and reflection. Religious life meant everything to her. She has ended her earthly journey; she has entered into God’s gentle embrace.