Posted February 11, 2020

Sister Mary Rachel Torrieri, I.H.M. (formerly Caroline Torrieri), died Feb. 1 in Camilla Hall, Immaculata. She was 99 and in the 78th year of her religious life.  

Caroline Maria Torrieri was born on Sept. 16, 1920 in Italy to her parents Dominic and Maggiorina (Negro) Torrieri. 

Caroline went to DeAmicis Public School in Italy from 1926 through 1931. Several years later, Caroline went to Fleisher Vocational School in Philadelphia during the 1936-1937 school year. At that time, her family were members of Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Philadelphia.

She entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Aug. 15, 1941. She received her habit and religious name, Sister Mary Rachel, the following year and professed her first vows on Aug. 15, 1944.

Sister Mary Rachel’s ministry of teaching grade school children began in September 1943 through January 1969. She taught younger children (K, 1, 2) at Good Shepherd, Philadelphia; St. Bernard, Easton; Our Lady of Pompei, Philadelphia; Immaculado Corazon, Peru; St. Aloysius Academy, Bryn Mawr and Transfiguration, Philadelphia. She taught sixth grade children at Transfiguration of Our Lord from September 1964 through December 1969.

Sister Mary Rachel taught high school students at Our Lady of Lourdes in Mt. Carmel; York Catholic, York; Archbishop Wood in Warminster; and Villa Maria Academy in Green Tree from January 1970 through June 1980.

In August 1980 through August 1990, Sister Mary Rachel served in the Philadelphia Archdiocesan Office as the Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry. In 1990, she served the Kennett Square Area Hispanic Ministry in West Grove until August 2000. She then served as a pastoral minister residing at St. William Convent in Philadelphia through August 2014.

At age 86, Sister Mary Rachel’s next and final assignment was to serve her sisters in Camilla Hall via prayer, companionship and pleasantry until her death.

The funeral Mass was celebrated Feb. 6 by Msgr. Francis Depman at Camilla Hall. Concelebrants included Bishop Edward M. Deliman and Fathers Augustus Puleo (homilist), Alfonso J. Concha, Scott D. Brockson and William E. Dean.

Present at Sister Mary Rachel’s funeral liturgy were her loving community of sisters at Camilla Hall, many of the sisters who serve in Hispanic ministry, and her congregation of I.H.M. Sisters.

Sister Mary Rachel is predeceased by her parents and by siblings Peter (Mary), John (Rose), and Anna Taglianetti (Robert).

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