Sister Mary Laurie

Sister Mary Laurie                 ND  5558                    PDF Download
Madelynn Therese DIVOKY

Christ the King Province, Chardon, Ohio, USA

Date and Place of Birth:              November 25, 1942    Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Place of Profession:   January 3, 1963          Chardon, Ohio
Date and Place of Death:            March 31, 2017            Health Care Center, Chardon, Ohio
Date and Place of Funeral:        April 4, 2017                 Provincial Center, Chardon, Ohio
Date and Place of Burial:            April 4, 2017                 Resurrection Cemetery, Chardon, Ohio

Througout life, Madelynn recognized and relied upon the strong family and faith roots that were modeled and nurtured by her loving parents, Laurence and Alice (Chimo) Divoky. Madelynn was the eldest of five children growing up on a small farm in Willoughby Hills, Ohio. Each child had chores and knew hard work. Faith life, as well as work life, was very important. An awareness of nature, love for all God’s creation and involvement in parish life influenced their faith life. After graduating from public elementary school, Madelynn attended Regina High School where she came to know and love the Sisters of Notre Dame.

Although Madelynn’s ambition had always been to become a nurse, and she was already accepted at a local nursing school, in her senior year she became aware of God’s invitation to religious life. With the encouragement of her parents, she accepted that invitation and entered on July 2, 1960. At investment, Madelynn received the name Sister Mary Laurie.

Sister Mary Laurie once wrote, “I am grateful to collaborate with so many God-centered, justice-orientated and Spirit-motivated people and hope my own heart longings and spiritual gifts support the local and global community.” To prepare for ministry in education, Sister received a bachelor’s degree from St. John College in Cleveland, Ohio, and a master’s degreee from John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio. She taught junior high students for twelve years and then ministered as principal for eighteen years. Sister loved her role as a teacher in suburban, inner city, and small town schools. She respected and was motivated by the pastoral dimension of principalship, noting that the very purpose of the school was “to teach as Jesus did.”

Her love for pastoral experiences led her to earn Pastoral Ministry Certification from the Diocese of Cleveland. She enjoyed sharing community with those seeking God and and walking with them on their journey of faith and life. After thirteen years, Sister entered into a new facet of ministering to God’s people as a spiritual care coordinator for the Hospice of the Western Reserve in Ashtabula, Ohio. “My role is to lovingly walk with people when they are dying. Spiritual care is about journeying with a person during a very sacred time of life.” Sister also assisted with prison ministry for more than ten years. Social justice and social service were essential components of each ministry in which she participated.

Even after the diagnosis of and treatment for ovarian cancer, Sister Mary Laurie continued to minister as the Liturgy coordinator at St. John School in Ashtabula. When the cancer recurred, Sister moved to the Provincial Center in 2016 and assisted in the Secretarial Office. Each day was a gift and a blessing for her and for those she encountered. During the last two months, as her condition declined and she became very weak, the beauty of God’s life and love within her was very evident and given as gift to her family, the staff and all who visited. As her ability to respond became limited, her inner peace witnessed to God’s goodness and care. May Sister Mary Laurie delight in the embrace of our good and loving God for all eternity.