Marion McDonald

1930 - 2024

Sr. Marion McDonald, sfcc

April 7, 1930 - August 14, 2024

Sr. Marion McDonald, sfcc was born in Port Byron, NY on April 7, 1930. She was the daughter of James and Mary Ellen McDonald. She was the sister of James (Phyllis) and Howard (Toni) who pre-deceased her.

She is survived by her nieces and nephews, Christine (Mike) MacMaster, Roger McDonald, Elaine (Glen) Larkin, Lisa (Fletcher) Baltz, Rick (Claire) McDonald. She also leaves behind great nieces and nephews Jennifer, Amy, Kelley, Eric, Kay Leigh, Cooper, Zane, and Shane. She will be deeply missed also by her Friend of 55 plus years with whom she shared her life and ministry, Sr. Emma K. Flaherty.

Sr. Marion began her life as the child of dairy farmers, and she cherished those roots throughout her life.

She attended a one room school in her primary education years, transferred to the Port Byron School System for her middle and high school education. She attended Nazareth College for three years before making a life altering decision and joined the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1950. After taking her vows, Sr. Marion served in ministry in Philadelphia, Marty, SD, New Orleans, LA, Powhatan, VA, St.

Michaels, Arizona, and back to New Orleans, LA. During her transition and after her commitment as a Sister for Christian Community, Sr. Marion taught at Blessed Sacrament High School, in Powhatan, VA and served as Property Manager of the Belmead buildings and lands there until 2009. During her tenure as Property Manager, she was the inspiration behind preserving the natural gifts of the lands for future generations by planning for careful harvesting of the woodlands, encouraging eco-friendly agricultural practices, and helping to guide the process by which the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament placed over 1000 acres of the Belmead property in a Conservation Easement.

Sr. Marion dedicated her life to those who were denied their equal rights and voice in US society and in the world, and as a champion the rights of the earth and all of God's gifts of creation. During her years in Graduate Studies at Catholic University, she first read Rachel Carson's, Silent Spring, and spent her life as an educator getting this message to all those she encountered.

Her family ties extended beyond those listed above on her family tree. The students she taught, their families, the staff she served with were each added to the original tree through a life-long grafting of new branches to that original tree. Among those who were graced with her care and concern were Sr. Pat McCarthy, Sr. Anne McGinn, the Flahertys, Stewarts, Corcorans, Luhmans, Primus', Waynes, Lupica's, Reachs, Mazumdars, Catletts, Whitlocks, Jenkins, and so many others.

Since she was inspired by Elizabeth Cady Stanton's words that "we are sowing winter wheat which the coming spring will see sprout and other hands than ours will reap and enjoy." If you wish to honor Sr. Marion's life, in lieu of flowers, consider supporting a group that works for justice for all those left out, especially the poor, and those who are champions for the rights of the earth, and/or St. John Neumann Parish, 2480 Batterson Road, Powhatan, VA 23139.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 23, 2024 at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 2480 Batterson Rd, Powhatan, VA 23139. A livestream of her funeral can be found at www.blileys.com. Sr. Marion will be laid to rest in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Auburn, NY.