Obituaries for March 2025
Let us pray for our dearly departed clergy and men and women religious whose Masses of Christian Burial were held in March.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
Sister Regis A. Keane, SC
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on March 28 at Holy Family Chapel in Convent Station, New Jersey, for Sister Regis A. Keane, SC (formerly Sister John Regis). A committed member of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth for 66 years, she died peacefully at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. Sister Regis was 84.
Born and raised in Jersey City to John and Tillie (Linderman) Keane, she attended elementary school and high school in Jersey City. As a student at the Academy of St. Aloysius in Jersey City, she was introduced to the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth. Following high school, she entered the Sisters of Charity in 1958.
Sister Regis earned a B.S. degree in Elementary Education from the College of Saint Elizabeth in Convent Station, then began her teaching ministry at Our Lady of Lourdes in West Orange and Our Lady of Visitation in Paramus. She later served as a House Parent at St. Mary’s Orphanage in Newark, providing care and support to children, developing relationships that lasted throughout her life.
Sister Regis earned her LPN in Practical Nursing from St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, followed by her RN in Nursing from Elizabeth General School of Nursing in Elizabeth. Her nursing ministry at St. Barnabas lasted until her retirement in 2015.
Sister Regis was passionate about music, singing with the Masterwork Chorus and various choirs of the Sisters of Charity. She was deeply involved in the parishes she attended, and an active participant in the Cursillo movement, helping to inspire and strengthen the faith of others. She was also a generous and willing volunteer for many causes.
Sister Regis enjoyed entertaining, attending weddings and celebrations, and visiting with friends, many of whom became like family. She will be remembered for her kindness, humility, generosity, and deep commitment to her congregation, family, friends, and the many lives she touched.
Sister Regis was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Charles Keane. She is survived by a nephew, a niece, a great-nephew, and two great-nieces.
Sister Barbara Moran, CSJP
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on March 3 at Saint Michael Villa in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey for Sister Barbara Moran, CSJP. A member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace, Sister Moran died peacefully at Saint Michael Villa on February 14. She was 83 years old.
Born on December 10, 1941, in Teaneck, she was the eldest of two children of Francis S. Moran and Bessie W. Tremper.
Sister Barbara became a postulant at Saint Michael Novitiate in Englewood Cliffs in 1959. She pronounced her final vows there in 1967.
After graduating from Caldwell College in 1969 with a BA in English, she continued her education at Montclair State College, New Jersey, in 1978, earning an MA in Educational Leadership. In 1983, she received her Ph.D. in Elementary & Early Childhood Education at Rutgers University.
Sister Barbara taught at Saint Anne’s School in Fair Lawn, Saint Joseph Village in Rockleigh, and Holy Cross School in Wayne. She also served as Principal of Holy Cross for three years. Additionally, Sister Barbara was a Consultant and Researcher for the Teaneck Board of Education.
Sister Barbara also served on the Holy Name Medical Center Board of Trustees for many years and was also an officer of the Board during that time.
She was also the Director of the Day Care Center at Saint Joseph Home in Jersey City for many years. Sister Barbara later served on the CSJP Community Life Ministry Committee until her retirement in 2022.
Sister Barbara was predeceased by her parents. She is survived by her sister, Alicia Franco.
Father John R. O’Connell
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on March 14 at Saint Elizabeth’s Church in Wyckoff, New Jersey, for Father John “Jack” Reynolds O’Connell. He died peacefully on March 10. Father O’Connell was 77 years old.
Born on May 27, 1947, in Astoria, Queens, New York City, to John and Florence O’Connell, he attended St. Joseph’s Grammar School, Bergen Catholic High School, Seton Hall University, Immaculate Conception Seminary, the University of Notre Dame, and Columbia University. He earned multiple master’s degrees in theology, psychology, and biomedical ethics, which shaped his approach to ministry and life.
Father O’Connell’s priesthood was marked by his devotion to his parishioners and commitment to the communities he served. He was the pastor of Church of the Nativity in Midland Park and St. Andrew’s in Westwood and continued to serve the people at St. Elizabeth’s during his retirement.
He loved football, especially Notre Dame and rooting on the Bergen Catholic Crusaders. Father O’Connell also cherished friendships and enjoyed playing golf with friends and family.
Father O’Connell was predeceased by his stepmother, Joanne O’Connell. He is survived by his sister, Claire, her husband Mark, a nephew and two nieces, as well as his three great-nephews and great-niece.
Sister Margaret Lucille Peterson, OP
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on March 17 at Saint Aloysius Church in Caldwell, New Jersey for Sister Margaret Lucille Peterson, OP. A dedicated member of the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell for 76 years, she entered into eternal life on March 10 at Saint Catherine of Siena Healthcare Center in Caldwell. Sister Margaret was 95.
She was born in Passaic, NJ, the daughter of Carl W. and Agnes C. (McPartland) Peterson. Sister Margaret Lucille entered the Sisters of Saint Dominic in 1948, receiving the habit a year later. She made her first profession on April 22, 1950, and final profession on April 22, 1956.
Sister Margaret Lucille was known as a dedicated educator. The greatest joy of her religious life was working with children and their families in schools. Earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and Business from Caldwell College and a Master of Science in Administration from St. Bonaventure University, she exemplified educational excellence and leadership. Sister also received certification in guidance and student personnel services from Seton Hall University, enabling her to guide many students during their formative years.
She shared her expertise and passion for teaching in various schools, including St. John the Apostle in Clark and St. Thomas More School in Fairfield. She served as principal at St. Mary School in Rahway; St. Antoninus School in Newark, where she was also a member of the parish ministry team; and Lacordaire Academy Lower School in Upper Montclair. Sister Margaret Lucille also ministered as a guidance counselor and teacher at St. Philomena School (Aquinas Academy) in Livingston and as a guidance counselor and pastoral associate in Our Lady of the Holy Angels School and Parish in Little Falls.
With the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell, she served in the roles of community personnel directress and later as Vicaress and Councilor of Life and Mission on the community’s Leadership Team. In her final ministry before retirement, Sister was a resident manager at Lincoln Hill Village Senior Citizen Complex in West Milford.
Sister Margaret Lucille was predeceased by her parents, Carl and Agnes, her brother Kenneth F. Peterson and sister-in-law Dorothy, as well as by her sister Lorraine Peterson Johnston and brother-in-law Warren. She is also survived by many nephews, nieces, grandnieces, grandnephews, great-grandnieces, and great-grandnephews.
Sister Concetta Russo, MPF
A Mass of Christian Burial was held on March 21 at Saint Lucy Chapel in Morristown, New Jersey, for Sister Concetta Russo, MPF. She died peacefully on March 17 at St. Joseph Hall, Villa Walsh, in Morristown. Sister Concetta was 99.
Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Sister Concetta entered the Religious Teachers Filippini in 1951. She received the habit in 1952 and made her religious profession in 1955.
Sister Concetta studied English, earning a B.A. degree from the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, Rhode Island. She also studied Library Science at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) in Ewing.
During her 72 years of religious life, Sister Concetta served where needed and in varied capacities in the dioceses of Hartford, Newark, Paterson, Pittsburgh, and Providence. In the early years of her consecrated life, Sister Concetta ministered in elementary schools as a teacher and vice principal. She also served as the superior of a local convent.
Sister Concetta returned to the motherhouse at Villa Walsh in 1975, where she cared for the elderly and infirm Sisters and diligently managed the library of the convent’s spiritual center.
From 1986 to 2014, Sister Concetta served the priests, seminarians, faculty, and students at the Monsignor James C. Turro Library at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University in South Orange. It was also during this period that Sister Concetta offered 15 years of service as a member of the Commission for Christian Unity of the Archdiocese of Newark.
In 2014, Sister Concetta retired from her position at Seton Hall University to reside at Villa Walsh. In 2019, due to declining health, she transitioned to St. Joseph Hall Infirmary.
Sister Concetta was predeceased by her parents, Benedetto and Rose (Grasso) Russo, along with her brothers Michael, Jerry, Benedetto Jr., and Matthew. She is survived by her sisters Delores Addona and Rosemary Bates. Sister Concetta also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews.
Sister Helen Paul Starr, CSJP
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on March 10 at Saint Michael Villa in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, for Sister Helen Paul, CSJP.
She died peacefully at Saint Michael Villa on February 10. Sister Helen Paul was 100 years old.
Born on March 27, 1924, in Lebanon, PA, she was the daughter of the late Paul Augustine Starr and Helen Cecilia McCartney.
Sister Helen Paul entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace in 1947 and pronounced her final vows at Saint Michael Villa Novitiate on February 2, 1952.
A graduate of Holy Name School of Nursing in Teaneck, she then attended Seton Hall University in South Orange, earning a B.S. in Nursing in 1962.
Sister Helen Paul ministered as a Nursing Supervisor at Saint James Hospital in Newark. She was also an administrator at Phillips Memorial Hospital, Bugo, Philippines, and worked as a Nurse and as Coordinator of the Family Life Apostolate for Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck.
In 1982, Sister Helen Paul moved to Saint Michael Villa, where she worked as a Nursing Supervisor caring for the infirm Sisters of her community. She retired from nursing in 2010 but continued to do volunteer ministry.
Sister Helen Paul was predeceased by her brothers, James, Clarence, Charles, Samuel, and Donald Starr, and her sisters, Lois Fenstermacher and Helen Savidge. She is survived by her sister, Clara (Fuzzy) Frantz, and several nieces and nephews.
Sister John Mary Tierney, SC
The Mass of Christian Burial was held on March 3 in Holy Family Chapel, Convent Station, New Jersey, for Sister John Mary Tierney, SC.
A devoted Sister of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, she died peacefully on February 20 at St. Catherine of Siena Health Care Facility in Caldwell. Sister John Mary was 99.
She was born in Orange, New Jersey, the daughter of John and Louise (Lana) Tierney. Sister John Mary entered the Sisters of Charity on March 25, 1948, and was a devoted member of the congregation for 76 years.
Sister John Mary earned a B.A. in Education from the College of Saint Elizabeth in Convent Station, followed by a master’s in Educational Psychology from Jersey City State College. She also received her certification in Library Science from Trenton State College.
She began her teaching career at the Academy of Saint Aloysius in Jersey City and Saint James School in Newark before becoming a teacher, counselor, and vice principal at Saint Paul of the Cross School in Jersey City. Sister John Mary next served as principal of Sacred Heart Elementary School in Jersey City.
Sister John Mary was also a school psychologist at Saint Anne and A.H. Moore schools in Jersey City, and taught religion and psychology at Saint Mary High School in Jersey City, also serving as a counselor. Later in her career, she returned to her alma mater, Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair, as the school librarian.
She had a passion for music that she shared with others in choirs and by assisting with school musicals. Her summers were spent volunteering at Maris Stella, the Sisters of Charity Retreat House on Long Beach Island.
Even in retirement, Sister John Mary continued to serve others and ensure that those in need of special prayers were never forgotten.
Sister John Mary was predeceased by her parents, her sisters Patricia Reynolds and Virginia Cebello, her brother-in-law Frank Cebello, and niece Jo Ann Cebello. She is survived by her brother-in-law John J. “Jack” Reynolds, and by many nephews, a grandnephew, grandnieces, and cousins.
