Sister Grace Agate, R.S.M., a member of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Mid-Atlantic Community for 53 years, died Oct. 14 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Savannah, Ga. She was 71.
She was born in Brooklyn and attended St. Brigid’s Elementary School and Bushwick Public H.S., both Bushwick.
Sister Grace entered the Sisters of Mercy Novitiate in Syosset on Sept. 3, 1966, and professed her final vows in October 1973.
She received her bachelor’s in theology, her master’s in education and theology all from St. John’s University, Jamaica. She also received a Certificate for Spiritual Direction from the Center for Peace and Justice.
Her ministry as an educator began at St. Mary’s, Roslyn, L.I., 1971-79; St. Patrick, Bay Shore, 1979-83. She served as director of religious education at Our Lady of Grace, Gravesend 1983–88; and St. Christopher, Baldwin, L.I., 1988–89.
From 1989-96, she was formation director of religious vocations for the Sisters of Mercy.
She was also director of adult spirituality at St. Kevin’s, Flushing, 1990-95; a member of the retreat team at Tabor House, Oceanside, L.I., 1995, and an instructor at the Pastoral Formation Institute.
Most recently, she was coordinator of workplace spirituality for the staff of St. Joseph’s/Chandler Hospital, Savannah, Ga.
A funeral Mass was held at the Sisters of Mercy Convent in Whitestone. Burial was in St. John’s Cemetery, Middle Village.
I am so very sad to learn that Sister Grace Agate has passed away. This lovely woman was a patient of mine when she was a very young nun, and I was a very young oral surgeon in Brooklyn. Being an Orthodox Jew, having a nun as a patient was among the most stimulating experiences I’ve ever had. Grace was so bright, and so passionate about her Catholic faith. She was also one of the warmest women I’ve ever known. Sweet and compassionate, she was filled with love for God, and love for all of God’s children. She wisely understood how some people had crises of faith in difficult times. Her only goal was to help people through those rough times. She also asked such sincere questions about my faith, truly wanting to understand my thoughts and my feelings about God, especially from an Orthodox Jewish point of view. Grace also told me how much she loved working with children. She wanted to just be there, to be able to help kids through difficult times when faith wasn’t always so easy.
I kept up with Grace for some years after our office appointments were done. But about two years ago, after a few years since our last talk, I called her in Georgia. Speaking with Grace was so very lovely and warm, like no time had passed at all. It was just two old friends again, talking about our lives and challenges. The warmth between us was still there as always.
People like a Sister Grace Agate never die, for they live in our hearts, and in our memories, until the end of time. I am so sorry for your loss of this very special, lovely woman.
Sincerely,
Dr. Norman Gold