Sister Mary Rosaire Miraglia, O.S.F.

Sister Mary Rosaire Miraglia, O.S.F., who served in pastoral ministry at Holy Trinity parish in Poughkeepsie for 22 years and also was superior general of her religious community, died on June 15 at the Regional House of the Sisters of St. Francis in Syracuse. She was 88.

Sister Rosaire served at Holy Trinity, 1989-2011, where she also was coordinator of a caring program for the poor and elderly in the community, 2006-2011.

She was on the pastoral care team at St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, 1986-1989, and served as pastoral care and social service advocate there, 1979-1983.

She served as superior general of the Sisters of St. Francis of Hastings- on-Hudson, 1983-1986.

(In 2004, the Sisters of St. Francis of Hastings-on-Hudson merged with two other Franciscan communities to form the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities.)

Sister Rosaire served at Mount Loretto on Staten Island as director of the girls’ division and convent superior, 1971-1979; director of child care, 1963-1971; and teacher at St. Elizabeth’s School, 1961-1963.

She also taught at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Pelham Manor, 1957-1961, and St. Catherine in Pelham, 1952-1957.

Born in Poughkeepsie, she entered the Sisters of St. Francis of Hastings on Hudson in 1950 and professed final vows in 1955.

She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Fordham University, a master’s degree in guidance from Seton Hall University and was certified in theological clinical pastoral care from St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

A Funeral Mass was celebrated on June 20 at the Franciscan Villa Chapel in Syracuse, with burial the next day at Assumption Cemetery in Syracuse. A Memorial Mass was offered on June 24 at the Marist College Chapel in Poughkeepsie.