Posted July 27, 2023

Sr. Mary Theresa DiCroce was born to Nicolas and Constance DiCroce on June 18, 1933, in Philadelphia, PA. The family lived in St. Donato Parish, and Mary attended West Catholic Girls’ High School. Mary remained close to her family, her siblings, and her nieces and nephews, throughout her life.

August 12, 1951 was the day Mary entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur at Ilchester, Maryland. Mary was given the name Sister Michael Marie. In the wake of the Second Vatican Council she returned to her baptismal name. She continued teaching as Sister Mary and retired after 55 years of service in formal education.

Those 55 years as a teacher found Mary serving rural children, suburban children and inner-city children of diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds in parish schools from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. Mary also taught in parish CCD programs, and in summer school programs.

She loved opening the world of learning to her young charges and especially loved preparing them for their First Communion.

Mary tried to instill in her students the same love for Our Lady and appreciation of the Mass that had guided her life from her earliest years. She also helped her students see and appreciate God’s goodness within them, their relationships and the world in which they lived.

In 1989 Mary received the Teacher of the Year award from Resurrection School. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia later honored her for her 25 years of service in its elementary schools.

Mary moved to Mt.Notre Dame Healthcare Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2018, where she continued in community service and a ministry of prayer. She died on July 18, 2023, at 90 years of age and in her 71st year as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur.

Now, as her Sisters, family and friends celebrate the life of Sister Mary DiCroce, we give thanks for all the ways she loved us and made God’s goodness known to us. We rejoice with Mary as she is welcomed by Our Lady, St. Julie and our good God. We ask her continued prayers for us that we may follow her example of being people who know how to believe and how to love.