Posted January 15, 2020

Sister Mary Elizabeth Cawley, I.H.M., 90, died Jan. 7 in Camilla Hall, Immaculata in the 72nd year of her religious life.

She was born Sept. 26, 1929 in Philadelphia in St. Joan of Arc Parish. She entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Sept. 8, 1947 and received her habit and religious name, Sister Marita Denise, on March 29, 1948. She professed her first vows on April 9, 1950.

From this point on, Sister Mary Elizabeth served as an elementary school teacher from April 1950 through June 1953.

In August 1953 through June 1959, she taught French at “Our Lady’s” in Mt. Carmel, Pa. and continued to teach French throughout the remainder of her teaching apostolate.

Sister Mary Elizabeth served students in Virginia and Pennsylvania, including Archbishop Prendergast and Bishop Shanahan high schools in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. From 1997 to 2005, she assisted at St. Laurence School in Upper Darby. From 2005 to 2012, she assisted with parish activities at Queen of Peace Parish in Ardsley.

Sister Mary Elizabeth entered Camilla Hall in August 2012 where she dedicated herself to the Apostolate of Prayer until her death.

She was predeceased by her parents Michael and Margaret (Tayler) Cawley, her brothers Dennis (Fahney), Joseph (Marguerite), Edward (Rita), James, Thomas (Jean), Francis and her sisters Anne Corcoran (Michael), Margaret Travers (William) and Patricia Welch (Matthew).

Sister Mary Elizabeth is survived by her sister-in-law Elizabeth (James), many loving nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and her congregation of I.H.M. sisters.

Father William E. Dean was the celebrant at Sister Mary Elizabeth’s Jan. 11 funeral Mass at Camilla Hall. Father Martin Kern, a friend of Sister Mary Elizabeth from the Allentown Diocese, concelebrated with Father Dean.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to: Camilla Hall Nursing Home, IHM Mission Advancement Office, 230 IHM Drive, Malvern, PA  19355.