Dominican Sister of Peace Maria del Ray Mangan, OP, (93) died on June 2, 2021, at Sansbury Care Center, St. Catharine, KY.
Sr. Maria was born Catherine Elizabeth in 1927, one of the four children born to Mary Moncrieff and Henry Mangan of Greeley, NE. Her early years were formed by teachers from St. Catharine, KY, whose teaching framed her maturing as a child and teenager of the Greatest Generation. She entered the Congregation in 1946 and took her final vows in 1950, serving God and God’s people as a consecrated religious Sister for nearly 75 years.
Sister Maria earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education and English from Siena College in 1961 and ministered as a teacher and administrator in Grand Island, Greeley, Kearney, Lincoln, McCook and Omaha, Nebraska. She went on to earn her Master of Science in Library Science from Spalding College and combined her love of teaching with this new learning to serve as a teacher and librarian in Grand Island, NE. She ministered in education for 28 years.
After leaving education, Sister Maria directed her talents to Parish Ministry in St. Paul for thirty-two years. She even returned to study, earning her Master of Arts in Spirituality from the University of San Francisco so that she could better minister to those she served.
Sr. Maria was known for her wisdom and her compassion for others, and generously put those gifts to the service of her Congregation as Regional Coordinator from 1987-1991.
In 2007, Sr. Maria moved to the St. Catharine Motherhouse. She lived in this community until 2021, offering her prayer and service to her Sisters and the St. Catharine community. She moved to the Sansbury Care Center in 2021, where she began her final ministry of prayer and presence.
Sr. Jeanne Moore, OP, wrote the preaching for Sr. Maria’s funeral, which was delivered by Sr. Luisa Derouen. Sr. Jeanne remembered her friend as humble and grateful for the hand of God in her life. Recalling a celebration of Sr. Maria’s ninetieth year of life, her seventieth as a Dominican Sister, and her tenth at St. Catharine, Sr. Jeanne said that the Sisters affirmed her as….
“Always pleasant, kind, and gentle; a ray of sunshine, wise, joyful, and welcoming of Nebraska guests. She was a delight to be with, wholesome, loyal, calming, humble, charming, and blessed with Irish wit.”
Sr. Maria del Rey is survived by three nieces and one nephew.
Visitation and funeral services at Sansbury Care Center Chapel were held on June 9 and 10. Sr. Maria was buried in the St. Catharine Motherhouse cemetery.
To donate in Sr. Maria del Ray’s memory, please click here.
Memorial gifts in Sr. Maria del Rey’s memory may also be sent to Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Drive, Columbus, OH 43219-2098.
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