Schipp, a life in Church ministry, mourned by diocesan family
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
Marilyn Schipp, who had ministered in the Diocese of Trenton since 2003 as coordinator of Consolation Ministries in the diocesan Office of Family Life/Respect Life, and since July 1, as the newly appointed director of the diocesan Office of Pastoral Care, died Aug. 29 in Capital Health System-Fuld Campus, Trenton.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. in St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, 411 Adeline St., Trenton. Calling hours will be Sept. 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. in Kutch Funeral Home, 215 Grand St., Trenton.
Ms. Schipp was born in Scranton, Pa. She was a graduate of St. Paul High School and earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education from Marywood University, Scranton. She held certification in educational administration from the University of Scranton and in religious formation from St. Louis University.
In the 28 years she was a Sister of St. Basil the Great, a religious order of the Eastern Catholic Church., she served as an elementary school teacher and principal in Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Ohio.
Ms. Schipp joined the Diocese of Trenton in 2003 as coordinator of Consolation Ministries in which she provided professional development, support and enrichment for persons throughout the diocese who minister to those who are grieving. Her responsibilities included the training of parish bereavement ministry and separated and divorced ministry team members; overseeing the RAINBOWS ministry, a bereavement program for children and the training of facilitators and program coordinators in schools and parishes. She was a registered RAINBOWS director which enabled her to train diocesan leaders for this ministry.
Ms. Schipp additionally worked in collaboration with the diocesan Tribunal assisting with the training of annulment advocates and preparing for annulment information evenings as well as the bi-annual annulment advocate course. She also oversaw Beginning Experience retreats which are part of an international peer ministry program for separated, divorced and widowed persons that facilitates the resolution of grief and promotes healing, as well as Retrouvaille, a program for couples who are in troubled marriages.
In 2005, Ms. Schipp was promoted to the position of associate director of the Office of Family Life/Respect Life.
When Ms. Schipp reflected on her work in consolation ministry, she once said it was a passion that had evolved from her days in the classroom. She recalled having countless meetings with parents where concern about the academic progress of a child would many times lead into discussion of problems in the home that were often the result of divorce and death of family members.
“I looked upon those meetings as sacred space with the families as they shared their deepest thoughts with me,” she said. “I was a teacher, yet I was also an unofficial counselor and those were the times that allowed me to minister to families. That was the most important role I had as a teacher and principal.”
"Being an educator, enabled her to develop a 'listening ear and a voice of compassion.'”
“I always felt that compassion is an important part of being a Christian and that’s probably why I find it so rewarding now to work in a ministry where the focus is on compassion and care,” she said.
In the almost two months since she was appointed by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., as director of the newly restructured Office of Pastoral Care, Ms. Schipp oversaw the office’s multiple ministries including consolation ministries as well as outreach to the sick, maturing adults, respect life activities and jail and prison ministries.
“Marilyn carried the love of Christ wherever she went,” Linda Richardson, director of the diocesan Office of Youth, Marriage and Family Life, said of her longtime friend and colleague.
Ms. Schipp is survived by a sister Dorothy (Jack) Bambach; a niece, attorney Jacqueline Bambach; dear friend, Diane Currie; and several cousins and aunts.
Burial will be in St. Mary Byzantine Cemetery, Hamilton.
Memorial donations may be made to Marilyn’s Gift Fund, Sisters of St. Basil the Great, Mount St. Macrina, 500 West Main St., Box, 878, Uniontown, PA 15401
Monitor staffers, Mary Stadnyk, news editor, and Lois Rogers, features editor, contributed to this story.
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Marilyn Schipp, who had ministered in the Diocese of Trenton since 2003 as coordinator of Consolation Ministries in the diocesan Office of Family Life/Respect Life, and since July 1, as the newly appointed director of the diocesan Office of Pastoral Care, died Aug. 29 in Capital Health System-Fuld Campus, Trenton.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. in St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, 411 Adeline St., Trenton. Calling hours will be Sept. 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. in Kutch Funeral Home, 215 Grand St., Trenton.
Ms. Schipp was born in Scranton, Pa. She was a graduate of St. Paul High School and earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education from Marywood University, Scranton. She held certification in educational administration from the University of Scranton and in religious formation from St. Louis University.
In the 28 years she was a Sister of St. Basil the Great, a religious order of the Eastern Catholic Church., she served as an elementary school teacher and principal in Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Ohio.
Ms. Schipp joined the Diocese of Trenton in 2003 as coordinator of Consolation Ministries in which she provided professional development, support and enrichment for persons throughout the diocese who minister to those who are grieving. Her responsibilities included the training of parish bereavement ministry and separated and divorced ministry team members; overseeing the RAINBOWS ministry, a bereavement program for children and the training of facilitators and program coordinators in schools and parishes. She was a registered RAINBOWS director which enabled her to train diocesan leaders for this ministry.
Ms. Schipp additionally worked in collaboration with the diocesan Tribunal assisting with the training of annulment advocates and preparing for annulment information evenings as well as the bi-annual annulment advocate course. She also oversaw Beginning Experience retreats which are part of an international peer ministry program for separated, divorced and widowed persons that facilitates the resolution of grief and promotes healing, as well as Retrouvaille, a program for couples who are in troubled marriages.
In 2005, Ms. Schipp was promoted to the position of associate director of the Office of Family Life/Respect Life.
When Ms. Schipp reflected on her work in consolation ministry, she once said it was a passion that had evolved from her days in the classroom. She recalled having countless meetings with parents where concern about the academic progress of a child would many times lead into discussion of problems in the home that were often the result of divorce and death of family members.
“I looked upon those meetings as sacred space with the families as they shared their deepest thoughts with me,” she said. “I was a teacher, yet I was also an unofficial counselor and those were the times that allowed me to minister to families. That was the most important role I had as a teacher and principal.”
"Being an educator, enabled her to develop a 'listening ear and a voice of compassion.'”
“I always felt that compassion is an important part of being a Christian and that’s probably why I find it so rewarding now to work in a ministry where the focus is on compassion and care,” she said.
In the almost two months since she was appointed by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., as director of the newly restructured Office of Pastoral Care, Ms. Schipp oversaw the office’s multiple ministries including consolation ministries as well as outreach to the sick, maturing adults, respect life activities and jail and prison ministries.
“Marilyn carried the love of Christ wherever she went,” Linda Richardson, director of the diocesan Office of Youth, Marriage and Family Life, said of her longtime friend and colleague.
Ms. Schipp is survived by a sister Dorothy (Jack) Bambach; a niece, attorney Jacqueline Bambach; dear friend, Diane Currie; and several cousins and aunts.
Burial will be in St. Mary Byzantine Cemetery, Hamilton.
Memorial donations may be made to Marilyn’s Gift Fund, Sisters of St. Basil the Great, Mount St. Macrina, 500 West Main St., Box, 878, Uniontown, PA 15401
Monitor staffers, Mary Stadnyk, news editor, and Lois Rogers, features editor, contributed to this story.
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