God gave the heart a voice to sound its joy and called it Music.
Faith and family shaped my earliest years. Music filled our home, especially as my mother sang with my sisters and I on our daily drives.
At St. John’s School, Sister Leone and later Sister Arlene nurtured my love for singing, preparing us to lead music at Sunday Mass and parish events. These early experiences opened my heart to the beauty of worship through song.
During high school, a trip to Grand Rapids for Sister Villana’s Profession awakened in me the first call to religious life. In September 1945, I followed that call to Marywood, where my lifelong ministry in education, parish service, and music began.
From 1948 on, I was blessed to play the organ for daily Mass and to work with children and adults who loved to sing. Music became a central part of my life and faith, a way of praising God that I believe continues even more beautifully in the world to come.
In later years, I felt called to volunteer through Meals on Wheels and at God’s Kitchen. There I met many people whose struggles deepened my compassion and broadened my prayers. These encounters reminded me how much quiet need surrounds us and how important it is to serve with kindness and humility.
My life has been rich with blessings—friends, community, and God’s steady grace. For every encouragement and every act of love across these many decades, I offer my heartfelt thanks.
Sr. Mary Lee’s lifelong ministries have included singing at Mass, volunteering through Meals on Wheels, and promoting justice and peace.
