December 30, 1939 – July 18, 2023
Margaret Mary Murray, CSJ died July 18, 2023, at St. John of God Retirement Center in Los Angeles. She was born in Galway, Ireland, on December 30, 1939, the youngest of a large family.
During her teenage years, she was interested in becoming a sister and reached out to her brother who was a priest in the San Diego area. Her brother talked to her about these wonderful sisters who were in his parish, the Sisters of St. Joseph. Margaret Mary was captivated by the idea and came to the United States, where she completed her senior year at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace. A few months later in September 1956, she entered with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
Sister Margaret Mary started out in education teaching English, history and religion in multiple schools. She then spent several years with the newest members of the community as the postulant director. Her time accompanying people who were discerning a call to religious life helped her prepare for the many years she spent in spiritual direction and pastoral ministry.
Sister Margaret Mary was a reconciling presence to all she met. Her deep listening and gentle heart created the fertile ground for the spiritual companioning she did for so many people.
Sister Margaret Mary continued to have close ties in Ireland, as most of her family still lives there. She made many visits back to Ireland throughout the years. May the road rise to meet you Margaret Mary and may God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
May Sr Margaret Mary, our “Sr Mary Sean” rest in peace. She taught us in her first year teaching English at St Mary’s Academy. She had an enormous heart and beautiful sense of humor. I remember her for the Merchant of Venice and Jane Austen’s Emma. She had us create a newsletter in the Victorian era and made English our most treasured class. Keeping in touch with her in later years was a joy and she would often visit Carondelet Center Retirement where I might be visiting another teacher and would bump into her. She helped me find my 1st grade teacher who left the convent and whose last name I did not know, after searching for that teacher for decades. I will never forget that kindness from someone who lived in Ireland and would not have known my first grade Sister! I promised to visit her at her convent near LAX and thought it would be soon. Now we must take a flight to the stars and find her in heaven, soaring with the angels. I was devastated with the news of someone so young leaving us and LOVE her so much. God bless Sr Mary Sean. Blue Tie ’68