Sister Mary Ellen Harnett, OP (S. Maura Daniel) – In the gentle stillness of the early hours of the morning of October 28 our dear Sister Mary Ellen Harnett passed into the loving and
welcoming embrace of her God. Sr. Mary Ellen was 85 years of age and had been a Sister of St. Dominic of Amityville for 67 years.
On July 23, 1939, Irish-born Daniel and Mary (Ryan) Harnett joyfully welcomed their first daughter Mary Ellen into their home in Manhattan, NY. As the family moved from the big City out to Queens, NY, they grew to include Margaret, Donald, Jack, Kathleen, and Dennis. They were a close-knit family who enjoyed being together and were proud of their Irish heritage.
Mary Ellen graduated from Bishop McDonnell High School in Brooklyn in 1957 where she was taught by the Dominican Sisters. On September 7, 1957, Mary Ellen entered the Novitiate of the Dominican Sisters of Amityville from Incarnation Parish in Queens. On August 4, 1958, Mary Ellen received the habit and her religious name, Sister Maura Daniel.
The young women in her “set” were collectively known as the Golden Roses. She professed First Vows on August 7, 1959 and Final Vows on August 7, 1962. Mary Ellen received a Bachelor
of Arts from St. John’s University, Jamaica, NY and a Master of Arts from Hunter College in Manhattan. She later received a Master of Divinity from Immaculate Conception Seminary,
Darlington, New Jersey through Seton Hall University, NJ.
Mary Ellen began her long ministry as an educator in the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1959 at St. Bartholomew’s School, Elmhurst, Queens. She continued as a teacher in Corpus Christi School, Woodside and in Fourteen Holy Martyrs School in Brooklyn. She returned to St. Bartholomew’s School as Principal in 1970, and in 1974 became Principal in American Martyrs School in Bayside, Queens, NY.
In her new ministry, Mary Ellen worked in St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Glen Head, NY from 1980 to 1986 and in 1986 began her twenty-year position serving as Parish Outreach Coordinator in St. Aidan Parish, Williston Park, NY. She retired in 2007 but went on to volunteer in the Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse Finance Office assisting as Entitlement Coordinator.
In 2015 Mary Ellen retired again and moved to live in the Motherhouse in Amityville.
Sister M. Melissa Hester, IHM – of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary died on Wednesday, November 20, at Our Lady of Peace Residence in Scranton, PA. Born on July 28, 1923, in Richmond, VA, and given the name Anne.
Sister Melissa was the daughter of the late Holly H. and Melissa Angela Darden Hester. She entered the IHM Congregation on September 8, 1941, made temporary profession of her vows on May 8, 1944, and final profession of her vows on August 2, 1947.
Sister Melissa received a Bachelor of Science degree in music/elementary education, and a Master of Science degree in elementary education/creative drama, both from Marywood College. Sister Melissa served many decades in schools in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland between 1944 and 1971. Between 1973-1975; she taught at St. Ephrem Elementary School in Brooklyn.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Paul Thomas and Robert; and six sisters, Mary Angela Packard, Marie Therese Perry, Helen Davis, Mildred Hazard, Gertrude Elizabeth Hester and Ruth Wallace. Sister Melissa is survived by nieces and nephews; a grandnephew; and by the members of the IHM Congregation.
The funeral was Nov. 25, at 11:00 a.m. with Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Peace Residence, 1510 University Avenue in Dunmore, PA. Memorial contributions may be made to support the retired Sisters of IHM c/o the Sisters of IHM Retirement Fund, IHM Center, 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509.
