A funeral Mass for Sister Mary Shryock was celebrated Nov. 16 at Nazareth Living Center Chapel in south St. Louis County. Sister Mary died Nov. 4 at Nazareth Living Center. She was 95 years old and a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet for 76 years.
Sister Mary Shyrock was born on Jan. 30, 1928, in Peoria, Illinois, to Arthur Dewey and Della (Reiferscheid) Shryock. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1946 and was received into the novitiate as Sister Anthony Bernard in 1947. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music/organ from Fontbonne College in 1958 and a master’s degree in music/organ from DePaul University in Chicago in 1962.
Starting in 1949, Sister Mary devoted her ministry to music education, teaching at St. Mary Magdalen and St. Margaret of Scotland schools in St. Louis. In the 1950s, she taught at St. Mary’s in Bridgeton, Our Lady of the Presentation in Overland and St. Phillip Neri in St. Louis. She also taught at schools in Denver and Chicago.
After earning her master’s degree, Sister Mary taught for one year at St. Joseph’s Academy in St. Louis before winning the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. The Fulbright Scholarship awarded her the opportunity to study organ in France under Marcel Dupre’ at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris (1962-63).
When she returned from France, Sister Mary taught for one year at St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City. She then taught at Fontbonne College in St. Louis for 25 years.
In 1989, she returned home to Peoria to care for her parents. She spent her ministry in health care while finding time to teach music lessons on the side. Sister Mary continued this service until her parents went to God in 1996.
Sister Mary remained in Peoria and taught private lessons and was the organist at St. Jude, St. Bernard and Holy Family schools while living with her religious community. In August 2012, she moved to St. Louis to reside at Nazareth Living Center, where she carried out her ministry of prayer and presence.
Burial was in Resurrection Cemetery.
