In Memory of Sr. Mary Jo O'Connor, 87, 10/24/37 - 10/14/25
Friends of Wisdom, we are saddened to share the news of the passing of Sr. Mary Jo O'Connor, DW, on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent in Sound Beach, NY, where she spent her final days in hospice care surrounded by her loving community and dedicated staff.
Sr. Mary Jo (Josephine) O'Connor was born on October 24, 1937, to Joseph Patrick and Josephine Swinburn in Jamaica, NY, and entered life as a premature 2-pound 10-ounce gift of life. Due to the loving attention of her family and the medical staff, she grew into a spunky toddler and a young child. Of those early years, Sr. Mary Jo remarked, "My parents' deep faith and religious practices planted the seed of Wisdom's gift in me."
Sr. Mary Jo graduated from Our Lady of Wisdom Academy in Ozone Park, NY, in 1956. She entered religious life on February 1, 1957, made her first profession on August 2, 1958, and her final vows on August 2, 1963. She was known in religious life as Sr. Maria Christi of Wisdom.
She earned a diploma in nursing from the Maryview Hospital School of Nursing in Portsmouth, VA, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Adelphi University, New York. Sister was a licensed nurse in New York, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland.
Sr. Mary Jo started her career as a staff nurse at Maryview Hospital in Portsmouth, VA. She worked in various locations across New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania throughout her nursing ministry. Her experience includes positions at Methodist Hospital in New York, St. Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ (20 Years), and Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia. Sister held multiple positions at Holy Family Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, including staff nurse, relief supervisor, head nurse, and home care coordinator. In addition, she was a visiting nurse with the Aging Services at Catholic Charities in Brooklyn, NY, and in Washington, DC, where she was also a parish nurse (St. Anthony's) for the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, and served in the Office of Social Development. During her time there, she participated in the interfaith task force for the elderly and worked as a parish-based visiting nurse for the chronically ill and aged.
Sr. Mary Jo began advocating for healthcare justice reform in the early 1980s, focusing on care for the elderly and individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses. She saw commitment to justice deeper than "marches, demonstrations, posters, protests, or civil disobedience. Thirty-two years ago, in a 1993 Visions article (a publication of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains), she wrote, "Justice involves a change in the depth of our hearts and spirits. This change of heart enables us to become increasingly alert to the root and systemic causes of injustice and inequality. Recognition of their manifestations in and around us impels us to share in the responsibility for alleviating the injustice in our midst." She went on to write, "Perhaps for us to act justly in this situation means writing a letter or making a phone call to our congresspersons, urging them to exert their leadership in bringing about a radical and comprehensive restructuring of our nation's healthcare system that would assure every person in the United States access to universal and affordable healthcare." She then urged the 3,700-member body of Catholic Chaplains to do so.
During her time in religious life, she earned a Master's degree in Pastoral Ministries from Boston College and attended the Center for Spirituality and Justice in the Bronx, NY. Her initial ministry took place at Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center in the Bronx, and she later served at St. Peter's Medical Center in New Brunswick, NJ.
As a pastoral associate, Sister discovered her true calling: helping to alleviate spiritual rather than physical suffering, and offering what many could not—comfort, solace, and peace. She particularly cherished her memories as a chaplain in the NICU at St. Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. There, she gained a reputation for assisting parents in coping with their deepest fears, and said she witnessed both grief and many miracles during her ministry. While there, she served on the Infant Bioethics Committee, was a spiritual consultant for the SIDS Resource Center, and participated in the infant bereavement ministry.
At the time of her 60th Jubilee in 2018, looking back on her life, Sr. Mary Jo proclaimed: "Sharing people's journey to God is rewarding. Families often express real gratitude because the patient feels freer to talk with a nonfamily member and talking is such a healing experience for many of them. In my ministry to the sick, the dying, and the broken-hearted, I have truly felt Wisdom's love for wounded humanity."
In her retirement, Sr. Mary Jo volunteered at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, NY. In 2006, she was recognized for her service.
In the 1990s, after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Sr. Mary Jo requested that her brain be used for scientific research aimed at helping future patients with the disease at Columbia University's Neurological Institute.
Sr. Mary Jo was predeceased by her parents and brother, James O'Connor and his wife Patricia. Sister is survived by her brother Joseph and his wife Linda, and nephews Dainiel (wife Maria and grandnephew), Matthew, Paul, and Timothy.
She will be greatly missed by the Daughters of Wisdom and staff at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent.
The arrangements for Sr. Mary Jo O'Connor's services are as follows:
Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., we will be gathering at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent, Sound Beach, to share remembrances in the Community Room. Followed by a funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m.
Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. internment at St. John's Cemetery in Middle Village.
Donations in Sr. Mary Jo's memory can be made to: Daughters of Wisdom Donate