Aston, PA—Sister Cecilia Mary Grimes, OSF, died in St. Francis Hospital, Wilmington, Delaware, on May 30. She was seventy-six years of age and had been a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for fifty-four years. Sister Cecilia Mary (Florence Marie Grimes) was born in Wilmington, Delaware, where she was a member of St. Paul Parish. Prior to her entrance into the congregation in 1950, she graduated from St. Peter High School in New Castle and worked for Diamond State Telephone Company. Sister Cecilia Mary earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Mt. St. Mary College, Emmitsburg, Maryland, and an M.A. in Religious Education from LaSalle University in Philadelphia. She also received spiritual direction certification from Neumann College in Aston, Pennsylvania. Sister Cecilia Mary ministered in elementary education for more than thirty years. Since 1985 she ministered primarily in social work, counseling, and spiritual direction. She enjoyed music, theater, travel, and reading.
Sister Cecilia Mary’s thirty-nine years of ministry in the Diocese of Wilmington included teaching at St. John the Beloved School (1965-1974); St. Anthony School (1974-1978); and Holy Angels School, Newark (1978-1985). From 1988-1999 she ministered as a job counselor at the Ministry of Caring. During those same years, she also served as a drug and alcohol counselor with Catholic Charities. From 1999-2007 Sister Cecilia Mary ministered as a pastoral visitor and a spiritual director, serving at manor Health Care Services and at the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Aston. She also ministered at the Delaware Correctional Center in Smyrna.
Sister Cecilia Mary ministered for five years in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. She taught at St. Anthony School in Gardenville (1950-1951) and at Immaculate Conception School in Towson (1959-1963).
From 1952-1959 Sister Cecilia Mary ministered in the Archdiocese of Washington, teaching at St. Bernadette School in Silver Spring, Maryland. Additional ministry experience included teaching at Our Lady of Victory School in Purcell, Oklahoma (1963-1964) and at St. Ann School in Naples, Florida (1964-1965). From 1985-1988 she served in parish ministry at Holy Spirit Parish and Infant of Prague Parish, both in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
All services will be held at Immaculate Conception Church, 454 Bow Street in Elkton, Maryland, on Saturday, June 2. The viewing will be from 9 A.M.-11 A.M., followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 A.M. Burial will be in Our Lady of Angels Cemetery in Aston, Pennsylvania. Sister Cecilia Mary is survived by her brother, Thomas Grimes of Newark, Delaware; nieces and nephews, and by her Franciscan family. Donations in her name can be made to Franciscan Ministries Foundation, 609 S. Convent Road, Aston, PA 19014.
