Sister Margaret Tryon, Maryknoll Sister for 71 Years, Dies

Posted on February 1, 2019

 

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Margaret Tryon died on January 28th, 2019 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. She was 90 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 71 years.

She was born in Eddington, PA on July 28th, 1928 to Dorothy R. (Smith) Tryon and William A. Tryon. She had two brothers, William and James and two sisters, Gertrude and Dorothy. Her parents and sister, Dorothy have predeceased her.

Margaret attended Nazareth Academy High School in PA and graduated in 1946. After graduation, she worked from June-September as a Bookkeeper and Clerk at her father’s company, William A. Tryon Company in Croydon, PA. From 1946-1947, she worked as Timekeeper at John J. Nesbitt Incorporated in Philadelphia, PA.

She entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Valley Park, MO on October 30th, 1947, from St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Croydon, PA. At her Reception into the Congregation she received the religious name Sister M. Dorothy Francis.  She made her First Profession of Vows on May 8th, 1950 at the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate in Valley Park, MO and her Final Profession of Vows on May 8th, 1953 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Ossining, NY.

In 1950, Sister Margaret attended Westchester Community College in Westchester County, NY. There she earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Applied Sciences with a Major in Food Service Administration in 1952.

Sister Margaret was assigned to Hawaii in 1953 to teach Home Economics and English at the Maryknoll School in Punahou until 1957. From 1958-1962, she was assigned to Majuro in the Marshall Islands where she taught 5th Grade. In 1962, she returned to Maryknoll, NY to study at Maryknoll Teachers College, there she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education in 1963.

Sister Margaret returned to the Hawaii Region after earning her Bachelor’s Degree; there she taught in various grade schools on Oahu and Maui and Majuro in the Marshall Islands until 1970.

From 1971- 1972, she gave service at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY as a liaison to the Food Services Department.  She then returned to the Marshall Islands, to teach part time, organize an in-service teacher training program for Micronesians, and was also involved in radio training until 1974.

From 1975-1997, Sister Margaret served back and forth between Hawaii and Maryknoll, NY in various roles. In 1975, she returned to Hawaii and was teaching until 1976. She then was assigned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center for Congregational Service until 1978; when she went back to Hawaii to do Pastoral Ministry and catechetics until 1985. Sister Margaret then served as Director of Activities in the Sisters Residential Care Unit at the Maryknoll Sisters Center until 1990. In 1993, for the last time she ventured back to Hawaii to do Pastoral Ministry and Prison Ministry with women at Oahu Community Correctional Center until 1997.   

In 2000, Sister Margaret retired to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, where she remained until her death.

Sister Margaret generously requested that her body be given to Science.

A prayer and memory service will be held for Sister Margaret on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.

A Memorial Mass will follow at 11:00 a.m. also at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

Sister Maria Rieckelman, Maryknoll Sister for 73 Years Dies

Posted on January 3, 2019

Sister Maria Rieckelman died on December 28th, 2018 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY. She was 91 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 73 years.

She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 31st, 1927 to Mary (Mathews) Rieckelman and Harry H. Rieckelman and given the name Alice. She had two sisters: Mary Louise and Edith and two brothers: Harry H. Jr. and Charles J.; all of whom have predeceased her.

In 1945, Alice graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Hyde Park, Cincinnati, OH. She then entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Ossining, NY on September 6th, 1945 from St. Mary’s Parish in Hyde Park (Cincinnati Diocese).  At her Reception into the community she received the religious name, Sister Maria Fidelis, which she retained throughout her religious life. She made her First Profession of Vows on March 7th, 1948 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY and her Final Vows on March 7th, 1951 also at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.

From 1945-1947, Sister Maria studied at the Maryknoll Teachers College in Maryknoll, NY. In 1947, she transferred to the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York, NY where she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in 1951.  She continued her studies at Marquette University School of Medicine (now known as The Medical College of Wisconsin) in Milwaukee, WI and graduated in 1955 earning her Doctor of Medicine Degree.  Sister Maria then began her internship in medicine and surgery at Mt. Carmel Hospital in Columbus, OH from 1955-1956.

In 1956, she received her first overseas mission assignment to Pusan, Korea to do medical work. Then in 1958, Sister Maria was sent to Kowloon, Hong Kong where she studied language and supervised the building of Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital which opened in 1961. From 1963-1967, she served as the Hospital Administrator. She then returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY where for two years she was instrumental in setting up new governance structures for the community life of the Sisters.

From 1971-1974, Sister Maria was assigned to Honolulu, Hawaii where she completed her Residency in both Adult and Child Psychiatry at the University of Hawaii.

She was then appointed as Coordinator of Health Services for the Church in the USA Office of Domestic Social Development at the U.S. Catholic Conference in Washington, D.C from 1976-1977, .

Sister Maria remained in Washington, D.C., from 1978 – 2004, her “itinerant” ministry focused on doing Psychiatric Therapy and Spiritual Psychiatry to missioners and leaders in over 30 countries. This included: workshops, seminars, and retreats for communities and leadership groups of all faiths. She helped her participants face issues of interpersonal growth, leadership, trauma, stress, and interconnectedness, highlighted by women’s movement and ecological awareness. In 2006, she served as individual and workshop facilitator with members of the Maryknoll Society, Maryknoll Affiliates and Lay Missioners.

In 2007, Sister Maria returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, NY where she provided spiritual direction to people until 2014 when she retired.

Sister Maria donated her body to science. 

A Vespers service will be held for Sister Maria on Monday, January 21, 2018 at 4:15 p.m. in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY.

A Funeral Mass will be held on January 22, at 11:00 a.m., also in the Chapel of the Annunciation at the Maryknoll Sisters Center.