Sr Mary Stephen (Katherine Maloney)

List of Deceased Sisters

Date of Death 30/05/2022

   Born: 2 May, 1927

  Professed: 15 August, 1951

  Death: 30 May, 2022

Katherine Maloney was one of eight children born to Mary Kent and Thomas Joseph Maloney ^on May 2^nd, 1927, in Newton Center, Massachusetts, USA.

After completing high school, Katherine trained as a nurse at Carney Hospital in Boston, graduating with her RN (Registered Nursing certificate) in 1948.  She entered the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary in Bedford, Massachusetts on February 11^th, 1949, and, as a novice, took the name “Sister Mary Stephen.”

She made her first vows in Bedford, on August 15^th, 1951. On May 24^th,1952, she left for her first overseas mission: to Hansen Home in Jamaica, West Indies, glad to put her nursing skills to good use in caring for the victims of Hansen’s Disease.  

On August 15^th, 1957, Sr Mary Stephen made her perpetual vows in Bedford, Massachusetts. In July 1964, she joined the SMSM community in Waltham, Massachusetts.  Meanwhile, in Australia, the SMSM had been asked to take on the administration of a new TB hospital in Killara.  On May 2^nd, 1965, Sr Mary Stephen was missioned to Australia to become the Director of Nursing at the Lourdes TB Hospital. Then, from 1966 to 1969, she served in Piva, on Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea, nursing at Hansenide Hospital.

In 1969, Sr Mary Stephen was called to be a member of the “Second Novitiate”, a renewal program, held in Rhinebeck, New York, USA, and was there from April to November. In late November, she arrived at our community at St Stephen’s Seminary in Oahu, Hawaii, and for the whole year of 1970, she served as a nurse at the Leprosy Settlement on the island of Molokai, a place made famous by the life of Father Damien, who had served there and died there.

While still in Molokai, Sr M. Stephen heard about our Sisters’ ministry among people with leprosy in Burundi.  She put in a request to go there.  This was eventually approved, but first Sr Stephen needed to go to our Sisters in France, where she studied the French language. She stayed there for two years. Then from 1972 to 1977 she served in Burundi, Africa, where she was a nurse at the Ambulatory Leprosy Control Centre. 

Returning to the USA at the end of 1977, Sr. Mary Stephen had a time of transition and community service at our community in Worcester, Massachusetts.

In August 1979, Sr Mary Stephen entered a very different ministry, as a pastoral worker in a rural parish in the Southern USA – Nashville, Georgia.  She served on a team with one or two priests (and sometimes none), another SMSM when possible (Sr Mary Carol was there for several years), and some lay people.  It is an area of the country where there are few Catholics, and those few were very grateful to have the support of the pastoral team. Sr M. Stephen served there for 14 years.

In September 1993, Sr. M. Stephen returned to Massachusetts, and was doing Home Nursing. She lived with her sister for a time, and in May 1994 joined the SMSM community in Framingham.

The New Year of 1995 brought a new challenge: Sr Mary Agnes Anne was already the lone pastoral minister in a small, isolated parish in Nenana, Alaska.  She saw the needs, especially of the elderly in the area, and believed that Sr M. Stephen, with both her pastoral and medical experience, would be the answer to prayer.  Once all the requests and approvals were completed, Sr Mary Stephen came to Alaska and became the Manager of a New Senior Housing complex (15 apartments).  She provided pastoral care as well as management expertise, and served there, happily, for the next 5 years.

Returning to Massachusetts, Sr M. Stephen joined the “62 Newton Street” community, and attended to some health needs, and was then sent to a renewal program in “Applied Theology” in Berkeley, California.  In 2001 she celebrated her 50^th jubilee in Waltham with nine other SMSM who had made first vows in the same year.  She also had surgery for a hip replacement.

On August 11^th, 2002, Sr M. Stephen joined the Formation community in Arlington, MA. She visited the elderly and the homebound in the parish.

In September 2004, she had a new mission assignment in Naples, Florida. Over these years she had several eye treatments for glaucoma and three corneal transplants.  In September 2006 she spent some time with our Sisters in Memphis, Tennessee, and returned to Waltham in October.

In June 2007, Sr. M. Stephen was missioned to the Marillac Residence, an Assisted Living facility in Wellesley Hills.  She continued to have several painful health issues, some of which required surgery. In February 2009 she was admitted to Lahey Clinic for surgery for a cyst on the kidney. Her eyes continued to be a concern. In March 2018, she moved to the Elizabeth Seton Residence, where she could receive more care.  It was there that she remained until the Lord called her home to Himself on the morning of May 30^th, 2022.

Sr. Mary Stephen was a joyful, loving, and generous Sister.  Many were inspired by her way of living. We pray that now that she has entered into the fulness of joy in the Lord and in the presence of Mary, our Mother, that she will continue to intercede for all of us.  May she rest in peace and joy! Gratefully in Mary,

Helen Muller, smsm                                                            Virginia Fornasa, smsm

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