Sister Theresa Monaghan RSM

Sr. Theresa Monaghan RSMSister Theresa Monaghan, an educator, registered nurse and administrator, age 86, died on Thursday, October 12, 2017, at McAuley Convent in Merion, Pennsylvania.Sister Theresa was in elementary education as teacher and principal in the archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and in the diocese of Portland, Oregon. She also taught at the secondary and college levels. Her college experiences at Gwynedd Mercy University extended for 25 years and included the ministries of registrar, treasurer, director of residents and instructor. Sister Theresa was also the administrator and local coordinator of McAuley Convent in Merion, Pennsylvania. Kindness and patience were her hallmark.Although Sister Theresa was unassuming in many ways, her dedication and selflessness to others were well known. She was immensely influential in forming the values and foundation in the lives of her nephews and nieces, and received thanks years later from students upon whom she had a positive impact. S. Theresa was also a skilled seamstress who crafted clothing and blankets that will be cherished for generations. S. Theresa loved to travel and enjoyed many days beside the ocean. One of her biggest thrills was visiting her cousin, Bishop Dennis Vincent Durning, in Tanzania and travelling on safari in the Serengeti.S. Theresa had a great sense of humor and loved her family deeply. She is survived by her nephews: David (and Elizabeth) Cooley, Meredith, CT; Philip (and Diane) Cooley, Alpharetta, GA; her nieces Teresa (and Fred) Hardin; and Jenifer Cooley, Woodstock, GA. S. Theresa will be greatly missed by her grandnieces and grandnephews, Olivia, Cassidy, Emily, Daniel, Jenna, and Benjamin. She is pre-deceased by her parents and her sister, Catherine Monaghan Cooley. In a quiet and unassuming way, Sister Theresa lived Catherine McAuley’s legacy of union and charity and waited patiently for God’s loving embrace. She will be dearly missed by her religious community.