Dominican Sister Patricia Flynn is a native of Paterson who earned a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University, Villanova, Pa. Over the course of her career as both an elementary and secondary teacher, she served in the (arch)dioceses of Trenton, Camden, Paterson, Newark and New York.

While in the Diocese of Trenton, Sister Patricia worked as a history teacher in St. Joseph High School, Toms River (now Donovan Catholic High School) from 1964 to 1965, and later as the elementary school principal of St. Mary School, Deal (now closed), from 1975 to 1984.

In 1972, she earned a master’s degree in American history from The Catholic University, Washington, and continued her teaching career.

Over the years, she served as administrator of the Mount Saint Mary Convent in Newburgh, N.Y., and was coordinator of volunteers for the Literacy Volunteers of America organization in Elizabeth. She retired in 2010.

Resurrection Sister Antoinette Nowosielski

Sister Antoinette Nowosielski was born in Albany, N.Y.

She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Fordham University, N.Y. She completed advanced studies in speech education at The Catholic University of America, Washington. She holds teaching certification both in New York and the Trenton Diocese.

Sister Antoinette entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection in 1946 in Castleton, N.Y. – the Provincial Home and House of Formation for the Province of St. Joseph. She made her final profession on Aug. 15, 1955, at the Congregation’s Generalate Home in Rome, Italy, after which she returned to her home Province in New York.

Sister Antoinette began teaching in 1954, and tutored students in St. Veronica School, Howell, through 2020. Much of her 60-year teaching career was spent with first-grade students in New York.

From 1982 to 1997, she was principal of St. Veronica School as well as superior of the local community. Sister retired to the Resurrection Sisters’ Provincial Home at the end of September.

Mercy Sister Maria Cordis Richey

The daughter of Joseph and Florence Richey, Mercy Sister Maria Cordis Richey was born and raised in Princeton. She attended the town’s St. Paul School and Mount Saint Mary Academy, Watchung, both staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. She earned an associate’s degree from Georgian Court College, now University, Lakewood, and entered the religious order in 1950.

Sister Maria continued her education at Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y., earning master’s and doctoral degrees in medieval and Renaissance literature. Meanwhile, she taught for five years in St. Mary High School, Perth Amboy.

Her assignment to Georgian Court College in 1957 began her collegial teaching ministry, which lasted more than five decades. As a teacher, she became a professor and chairwoman of the English department, a position she held for 33 years; in 1974, she was appointed president of the Mercy-run university.

Following her term as president, Sister Maria continued to teach courses in the English department until her 2011 retirement to Mount Saint Mary. She received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Georgian Court University in 2016.