Obituary for Sr. Phyllis Hinchcliffe, O.S.U.

Sister Phyllis Hinchcliffe, a beloved member of the Ursuline Community, died peacefully on June 16, 2020 at Andrus on Hudson.
Born in 1927 to Julia and Walter Hinchcliffe in Yonkers, NY, Sr. Phyllis entered the Ursuline Community in 1950, a year after graduating from the College of New Rochelle, and became known as Mother St. Paul. She later earned a Masters in Theology from Fordham University as well as a Masters in Christian Education from Princeton Theological Seminary.

After a short time as an elementary school teacher at Blessed Sacrament in New Rochelle and Notre Dame in Malone, N.Y., Sr. Phyllis’ primary ministry was at the service of The College of New Rochelle for nearly 40 years as a faculty member in the departments of Religious Studies, Women’s Studies, and Gerontology.

Sr. Phyllis was active in many spiritual and ecumenical endeavors: as retreat team associate at the Passionist Spirituality Center, member of the Inter-religious Council in the city of New Rochelle, and as a board member of the Committee on Interreligious and Ecumenical Affairs for the New York Archdiocese. She also served the Ursuline Community in a variety of leadership positions and spent sabbaticals in Israel, Italy, Southeast Asia and Brazil.

Sister Phyllis is survived by many devoted nieces and nephews, her sister-in-law Jayne, and her faithful friend, Mary McGee. A private burial will be at Gate of Heaven Cemetery on June 19. Due to the Pandemic a Memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later date.

Donations in memory of Sr. Phyllis may be mailed to the Ursuline Retirement Fund at 1338 North Avenue, New Rochelle, N.Y or online.