Sr. Mary Dowd, OSU Obituary
Please join us in prayer for Sr. Mary Dowd, OSU, formerly Sr. Mary of the Incarnation, who died peacefully on May 1, 2018. She was born in Holyoke, MA in 1928 to Clare and James J. Dowd. Sr. Mary is predeceased by her brothers James and John, and her sisters Ann Connolly and Clare Hayes.Sr. Mary graduated from the College of New Rochelle with Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science, and earned a Master’s degree in English from Fordham University, and a Master’s in Religious Education from the Catholic University of America.
She held teaching positions in the Wilmington, Springfield MA, and College of New Rochelle as well as Bethesda MD She also served in the Bronx as a pastoral associate at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, religious education director at St. Lucy’s and St. Matthias’s Churches, Sr. Mary provided service to the New York Archdiocese as member and chair of the Committee for the Catechumenate, and a member of the Liturgical Committee. Following her passion of justice, she served as co-director of the Maura Clarke-Ita Ford Center in Brooklyn, NY, and on the Board of Directors for Songcatchers, Open Window, and Angela House.
Sister Mary is survived by her sister, Beth Dowd, OSU, by many loving nieces and nephews, extended family members, and the Ursuline Community. A wake will be held at the Ursuline Province Center, New Rochelle, NY, on Friday, May 4, 3:00-7:00pm, with a prayer service at 4:00pm. The Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at the Province Center Chapel on Saturday, May 5 at 10:00am. Burial will be at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Ursuline Sisters Retirement Fund at the Ursuline Provincialate, 1338 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10804.