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Obituary
Sr. Mary
Michael (Rita) Ronan died April
29, 2015 in the Sisters’ Infirmary at St. Mary’s Medical Center in
Huntington, WV. She was born June 14, 1928, daughter of William Henry and
Gertrude MORRISSEY Ronan in Waterbury, Connecticut. She was the oldest of
five children: She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister,
Barbara Ronan Pohl. She is survived by her sister Ann Ronan McCandless, two
half-bothers, William Henry Ronan, Jr. and Edmund Terence Ronan and multiple
nieces and nephews. She is also survived by a step-sister Sandra Ronan Ryan
and a step-brother Roy Ronan. Sister Mary Michael entered the Pallottine
Missionary Sisters on September 8, 1947. She spent most of her religious
life teaching in some capacity. She taught and was Pastoral Associate at Our
Lady of Fatima; taught at St. Joseph’s High School; and provided religious
education for students at St. Peter Claver Church, all in Huntington WV. She
spent many of her summers in the coal fields of southern WV teaching
Vacation School of Religion to public school students and provided adult
education for members of the parishes. She also did private tutoring for
students of various ages. In addition, Sister also taught in Pittsburgh, PA,
Laurel, MD, Spring Lake MI, and in St. Louis, MO. She served as Secretary
and Translator in the Pallottine Sisters Generalate in Rome, Italy for
almost seven years. To say that Sr. Mary Michael was well educated is an
understatement. She attended Catholic University, Marshall University, West
Virginia University, Laval University (Quebec, Canada), George Washington
University, University of the District of Columbia and Providence College
(Rhode Island). She received her B. Ed., English at Duquesne University, a
Masters’ Degree in French Literature at University of Notre Dame, and a
Masters’ in Theology at St. Charles University (Pennsylvania). Shortly
before her death Sister Mary Michael wrote the following as part of
reminiscences of her life as a Pallottine Missionary Sister It seemed
appropriate to include an excerpt here which describes her so well. “My
heart swells with gratitude to God, our Blessed Lady, Queen of Apostles. all
the angels and saints for this beautiful life I have lived, aspiring to
follow St. Vincent Pallotti in some small way. Some have been tumultuous
times, but I have tried to create within myself an oasis of peace as the
ground of my being. My life has been blessed with much love and many, many
friends, but my greatest Loves have always been the Lord Christ and the
Roman Catholic Church, as Shakespeare says, ‘warts and all.” Visitation will
be on May 1, 2015 from 2:00 PM to 7:00 P.M outside the Main Chapel of St.
Mary’s Medical Center. A Vigil Service will begin at 7 P.M. The Mass of
Resurrection will be celebrated at 11:00 AM on Saturday May 2, 2015, in the
Main Chapel of the Medical Center as well. Burial will be at Spring Hill
Cemetery following the Funeral Mass. Reger Funeral Home is in charge of all
of the arrangements.
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