Obituaries for April 2024
We remember and pray for our dearly departed clergy and men and women religious whose Masses of Christian Burial were held in April.
Father John P. Ryan
A Mass of Christian burial was held for Father John P. Ryan on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Our Lady of the Valley Church, Orange, N.J.
Father Ryan died on Monday, April 22, 2024, at the age of 86.
Father Ryan was the former pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Church, Orange, N.J.; Madonna Church, Fort Lee, N.J.; and Immaculate Conception Church, Mahwah, N.J.
He is survived by sister Loretta Reustle; sister and brother-in-law Susan and Robert Lally; sister and brother-in-law Elizabeth and Lawrence Conway; brother and sister-in-law Gerard and Camille Ryan; sister-in-law Ronda Ryan; sister-in-law Felicia Ryan; and a number of nieces nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews.
Sister Collins, C.S.J.P.
A Mass of Christian burial was held for Sister Anne Collins, C.S.J.P., on Monday, April 22, 2024, at St. Michael Villa in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Sister Collins, a Sister of Saint Joseph of Peace, of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., died peacefully at St. Michael Villa in Englewood Cliffs on April 17, 2024 at the age of 97. She was born on March 2, 1927, in Tureenamult, County Kerry, Ireland, to the late Timothy Collins and Hannah O’Keefe Collins.
Sister Collins entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in Cabra, County Down, Northern Ireland on June 9, 1942. She pronounced Final Vows at St. Michael Novitiate, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. on Sept. 8, 1950.
Sister Collins ministered as an Aide at St. Mary’s Home for the Blind, Lansdale, Pa.; Nurse’s Aide and Student at St. Michael Villa, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.; housekeeper, seamstress, and dietician at St. Anne’s Convent, Fair Lawn, N.J.; Mount St. Joseph’s, Glendola, Spring Lake, N.J.; St. Luke’s Convent, Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.; and chapel housekeeper, interior decorator, assistant dietitian, arranger of religious interfaith services at St. James Hospital, Newark, N.J.
In 1977 she received her license in Cosmetology and ministered in Health Services as a patient beautician at Holy Name Medical Center, Teaneck, N.J. until her retirement in 2008. Sister Collins joined the St. Michael Villa Community in 2009.
Sister Collins is pre-deceased by her brothers, Tim, Daniel, Patrick, and John, and her sister “Bridie” a.k.a. Sr. Annunciata Collins, FSMA. She is survived by her brother, Charles, and sister, Hanna Mary Mausrour.
Father Jerome Francis McKenna C.P.
Father Jerome Francis McKenna, C.P.
A Mass of Christian burial was held for Father Jerome Francis McKenna, C.P., on Friday, April 19, 2024, at St. Paul of the Cross Monastery Church in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Father McKenna, a Passionist priest of the St. Paul of the Cross Province of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, died on Sunday, April 7, 2024. He entered into Holy Orders being ordained a priest by Bishop Cuthbert M. O’Gara, C.P. at St. Michael’s Church in Union City, N.J.
Born on April 13, 1930, he was 93 years of age. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., he was the son of the late Francis Joseph McKenna and the late Gertrude Foley McKenna.
Father McKenna graduated from High School at Holy Cross Minor Seminary, Dunkirk, New York in 1950. Father McKenna’s First Profession into the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ was on July 17, 1951 in Pittsburgh, Pa. His Final Profession was on July 17, 1954 in Brighton, Massachusetts. From 1951 to 1955 he completed undergraduate studies acquiring an academic degree of Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from St. Gabriel’s Passionist seminary in Brighton, Mass. Between 1955 and 1958 he engaged in academic studies at Holy Family Monastery, West Hartford, Conn. and St. Michael’s Monastery, Union City, N.J. achieving an academic degree of Master of Arts in Theology. In 1958, Father McKenna also completed his studies in Sacred Eloquence at Our Lady of Sorrows Passionist Monastery in West Springfield, Mass. Father McKenna’s final academic achievement was in 1961 when he completed an academic degree of Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, Italy.
His Passionist ministry proclaiming the love of God in the Passion of Jesus Christ spanned more than 63 years and included official leadership responsibilities throughout the Province, including work in Union City, N.J.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Preston, W.V.; Charleston, W.V.; and Atlanta, Georgia. His Passionist service had significant positive impact on the lives of numerous individuals, groups, and dioceses, in particular the Diocese of Wheeling, Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Archdiocese of Newark, and the Archdiocese of Georgia. During these many years, Father McKenna assumed varied leadership roles and duties including Provincial Secretary (1961-1965), Monastery Rector-St. Paul of the Cross Monastery (1965-1971), Director-Passionist Social Concerns Center (1971-1981), Director-Passionist Volunteers, Inc. (1973-1981), Moderator-Monastery Food Cooperative (1974-1978), Pastor-Catholic Church of Preston County (1981-2000), Dean-Fairmont Deanery (1985-1994), Provincial Consultor (1990-1994), Vicar Forane-Vicariate of Clarksburg (1997-2000), Director-Diocesan Planning & Pastoral Services (2000), Vicar General-Diocese of Wheeling (2005-2009), Pastor-St. Paul of the Cross Parish (2009-until his death).
Father McKenna also served on numerous commissions and boards of directors during his years of Passionist and priestly ministry. These include the Synodal Commission for Religious-Chairperson (1970-1971), Church Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines-Chairperson (1976-1979), Province Task Force on Option for the Poor, Pastoral Concerns Committee-Diocese of Wheeling Presbyteral Council, Preston County Ministerial Association & Ethics Committee, Priest Mentor Committee-Chairperson (1993), Inter-Province Committee on Corporate Responsibility (1994), Mission Fulfillment Task Force (1994-1999), Synodal Commission on Church (1997-2000), Province Pastoral Planning Committee (1999), Presbyterial Council, Diocesan Consultor (2000), Bishop’s Cabinet (2000), Executive Secretary, Diocesan Pastoral Council (2001), Executive Staff of Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston (2005), and Vicar for Planning (2006).
In addition, Father McKenna was a member of a number of Church and Civic Societies including the Catholic Theological Society of America, Amnesty International, Knights of Columbus, Priests Eucharistic League, National Catholic Evangelization Association, The Liturgical Conference, PAX CHRISTI USA, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. He was also engaged in various literary publications. He was publisher of the S.C. Alert, an editor of Compassion magazine, a contributor to the Whole Earth Papers, and a participant and contributor for the radio series, The Catholic Perspective-Catholic Sound Bites (1990-1994).
Finally, Father McKenna was decorated by the Holy See on Dec. 15, 2006 with the Cross of Honor-Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice.
Father McKenna was pre-deceased by his brothers, Thomas, Jerome Matthew, and Patrick. In addition to the members of his Congregation, Father McKenna leaves his brother Joseph, (spouse: MaryLou Libell), Regis (spouse: Dianne Page), Brother Robert McKenna, C.P., many devoted nephews and nieces, family members, and friends.
Sister Nancy Meister, C.S.J.P.
A Mass of Christian burial was held for Sister Nancy Meister, C.S.J.P., on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at St. Michael Villa in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Sister Nancy Meister, a Sister of Saint Joseph of Peace, of Englewood Cliffs, N.J., died peacefully at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, N.J. on April 2, 2024 at the age of 79.
She was born on March 23, 1945, in Santa Monica, Ca., the first child of the late Paul Francis Meister and Zona Gale Buff.
Sister Meister became a Postulant on Sept. 12, 1964, at St. Michael Novitiate, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., then a Novice on July 2, 1965. She pronounced Final Vows there on July 2, 1975. Sister Meister graduated from: Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J. with a B.A. in Elementary Education in 1969 and from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Rutherford, N.J. with an M.A. in Learning Disabilities in 1979.
Sister Meister taught at: St. Rose of Lima E.S., Hanover, N.J.; St. Anastasia E.S., Teaneck, N.J.; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Tenafly, N.J.; St. Joseph’s School for the Blind, Jersey City, N.J.; and Forum School, Waldwick, N.J. She was a Learning Disability Consultant at Kenmare Alternative H.S., Jersey City, N.J.
In 2002, she left teaching and went to California to take care of her aging parents. In 2015, she came back to New Jersey and served on various community committees including the Community Life Ministry Committee, the Guild for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace as Treasurer, and most recently the Eastern Region Finance Committee. Sister Meister joined the St. Michael Villa Community in 2023.
Sister Meister is survived by her sister, Paula Ayers, and her brothers, Dennis and Steve.
