But closest to her heart was always the children…

Sister Mary Therese Hannaway (Sister Marian John) was born August 22, 1932, in Bronx, New York. She was the oldest of five children, four daughters and one son, of John and Mary Callaghan Hannaway. Mary Therese attended Saint Jerome Elementary School, the Bronx, Cathedral High School, Manhattan, and worked for one year before entering the Sisters of Charity of New York on September 8, 1950.

Sister Marian John earned her BA in History from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, an MA in History from Manhattan College, both in the Bronx, and a Professional Diploma in Supervision and Administration from the College of Staten Island (CUNY). She later earned New York State Permanent Certification in Social Studies for Elementary and High School and Certification for Administration.

Sister Therese’s fifty-four years of active ministry were served in elementary education as classroom teacher and administrator. Her first twenty-eight years of teaching were at Saint Francis Xavier, Manhattan, Saints Peter and Paul, Saint Barnabas, and Blessed Sacrament in the Bronx, Saint Mary of the Snow, Saugerties, and Resurrection, Rye.

Sister Therese ministered fourteen years in administration at Saint Peter, Staten Island, Saint Joachim, Beacon, and Saint Lucy, the Bronx. She returned to the classroom at Saints John and Paul, Larchmont, for twelve years as teacher and then substitute teacher.

In 2009, Sister Therese retired at Mount Saint Vincent Convent and five years later formed an assisted living community with other Sisters of Charity at what is now The New Jewish Home in the Bronx. In 2015, she moved to Schervier Nursing Care Center, the Bronx, and, in 2021, to Cabrini of Westchester in Dobbs Ferry, where she died March 3, 2021, in the seventy-first year of her commitment as a Sister of Charity of New York.

In her early retirement years, Sister Therese delighted in knitting and crocheting items to gift or to offer for sale in fundraisers. Music always brought her enjoyment, especially an Irish tune to sing along with while her feet tapped the rhythm, and the dog-lover in her came out when therapy dogs arrived to visit. But closest to her heart was always the children — how her eyes lit up to see them come visiting other retirement residents.

Sister Therese, the testimony of your life placed your hope in Christ and God’s promise that eternal life will be ours. We rejoice as you go forth to praise God in the fullness of this favor bestowed on us (Ephesians). Rest in peace.

We invite you to visit obittree.com for more information about Sr. Therese’s life.