Sister Marion Rita Kennelly, OP, of Dominican Convent, Sparkill, New York, died on September 5, 2013 in Siena Hall. Born in New York, NY on October 26, 1928, Margaret Mary was the daughter of Michael and Margaret Broderick Kennelly. She entered the Dominican Congregation of Our Lady of the Rosary in Sparkill on September 8, 1947 and became known as Sister Marion Rita, professing her first vows in 1949 and her final vows in 1954.
Sister Marion Rita earned a BS in Elementary Education from St. John University, NY; an MS in Education from Manhattan College, NY and an Administration Certificate from Fordham University, NY. Sister Marion Rita was an elementary school teacher and administrator serving in the Archdiocese of New York and the Dioceses of Brooklyn and Wilmington.
She taught at St. Teresa, Woodside, NY (1949-56); Sacred Heart, Suffern, NY (1956-57); Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Richmond Hills, NY (1957-67); Immaculate Heart of Mary, Scarsdale, NY (1967-70); St. Anthony, Yonkers, NY (1970-71); Cardinal McCloskey, White Plains, NY (1971-74); St. Catherine of Siena, New York, NY (1974-81); Sts. Peter & Paul, Easton, MD (1981-84); Sacred Heart, New York, NY (1984-85) and St. Margaret of Cortona, Bronx, NY (1985-87). From 1987-2010 she was a teacher and volunteer at Visitation School, Bronx, NY. In 2011 she became a resident of Siena Hall at the Motherhouse in Sparkill, NY. Sister Marion Rita is predeceased by her mother and father, Michael and Margaret Kennelly of Limerick, Ireland, her sisters, Sr. Eileen Kennelly, OP. and Patricia Rooney. She is survived by her nieces Patricia Casbarro (James), children James and Christina of Newman, GA; Eileen Smith (Walter), children Thomas, Michael and Caitlin of Stroudsburg, PA; her nephews John Rooney of Pearl River, NY and Michael Rooney (Evelyn) children Brianne and Caitlin of Allendale, NY. She is also survived by her Dominican family and many friends.
We will remember Sister Marion Rita for her dedication to field of education. She loved teaching children and seeing them learn to read. For over sixty-one years she shared her gifts as a teacher with a countless number of students. Her warm personality, her contagious sense of humor and her love for her Irish roots were quite apparent when you would meet her. She was committed to her life as a Dominican sister and remained faithful to her call for sixty-five years. She was gift to us and now we commend her to the God she loved and we ask the good Lord to give her peace among the company of the saints in heaven.