Religious Milestones: Mercy Sister Michael Mary Roberts, 70 years

Reflecting on her 70 years in religious life, Mercy Sister Michael Mary Roberts expressed gratitude. “I am so grateful to God for the gift He gave to me, this vocation. I feel very Blessed.”

Born in Philadelphia, when Sister Michael Mary was six her family moved to Collingswood in New Jersey. There she attended St. John Elementary School and then graduated from Camden Catholic High School. The Sisters of Mercy taught at both schools.

Sister Michael Mary said she was attracted to the Mercy Sisters who seemed to be so happy and were so engaging with the students at school. She added, however, that her initial calling came through her parents, Mary and Joseph. “My parents raised me in the Catholic faith and out of living my faith came my vocation,” Sister Michael Mary said.

In discerning her calling, she said, “I prayed about my decision. I remember kneeling in St. John’s Church, Collingswood and talking to the Blessed Mother asking her what I should do with my future. “I was only 17-years-old and thought maybe I would think about being a Mercy Sister because I was attracted to their life,”she said.

After high school, Sister Michael Mary enrolled in Georgian Court College (now University), Lakewood, which was founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. She earned a bachelor’s degree in humanities. She entered the Mercy Sisters community on Sept. 24, 1953. And professed her final vows Aug. 17, 1959.

As a postulate, Sister Michael Mary was very engaged with the retired Mercy Sisters and enjoyed taking care of the elderly sisters in the infirmary at her community’s motherhouse, Mount St. Mary, Watchung.

The experience was very appealing to Sister Michael Mary, but at the time, after her postulant and novitiate year, since the Mercy Sisters were committed to teaching, she was sent out to teach. She taught second, third and fourth grades at the School of St. Elizabeth, Bernardsville, and St. Mary School, Alpha.

“I liked the children, but teaching wasn’t fulfilling for me,” stated Sister Michael Mary. She wanted to go into nursing. With a great devotion to the Blessed Mother, Sister Michael Mary said, “ I remember saying the 54 day rosary novena to our Lady, 24 days in petition and 24 days in thanksgiving. I said that rosary novena asking the Blessed Mother that if it was God’s will I would be able to go into nursing. And on the feast of the Holy Rosary, I was told by my superiors that I was chosen to go into nurse’s training. I tell people that story a lot because of the power of that rosary novena.

It was in 1966, that Sister Michael Mary was able to finally pursue what would become her lifelong ministry. She and one other Mercy sister were permitted to study at St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing. After completing her studies, Sister Michael Mary began working at the Mercy Sisters, McAuley Hall Health Care Center where she served for 10 years.

She then went to Syracuse, N.Y. where she earned certification as a geriatric nurse practitioner from the State University of New York and subsequently worked as a nurse on the cardiac floor in St. Joseph Hospital, Syracuse.

In the mid-1980s, Sister Michael Mary returned to Watchung and was appointed administrator of McAuley Hall Health Care Center. She served there until it became a state-licensed nursing home. At this time, Sister Michael Mary became a full-time visiting nurse with Holy Redeemer Home Care. “It was a very enriching experience for me. I just loved it. Nursing in home care enables one to give holistic care to the patients,” she said.

Five years ago, Sister Michael Mary retired from serving as a Visiting Nurse. At that time she was 81 years old. “I came to the realization that physically I couldn’t keep doing what I was doing. I didn’t want to retire because I loved what I was doing and loved the people I was working with and caring for but “God lets you know when you are finished.”

Still active in retirement, Sister Michael Mary volunteered at Overlook Hospital, Summit, in the Pastoral Care Department. She visited patients and brought them communion. She did this for several years. “Then I became physically ill and was not able to continue, she admitted.