Sister of St. Joseph Maria Pacelli Bernardo died May 8, 2016. She was 93 years old.
She entered the congregation in 1940 from her home parish of St. Anthony of Padua in Rochester. She earned a bachelor’s of education in 1943 and a bachelor’s of arts in 1968 from Nazareth College. She completed a master’s of arts in history from Geneseo State Teachers College, now the Ella Cline Shear School of Education at SUNY Geneseo, in 1970.
Sister Bernardo began an almost 40-year teaching career at Holy Rosary in Rochester in 1943. She also taught at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Monica and St. Joseph’s Villa, Rochester; St. Michael, Penn Yan; St. Agnes, Avon; St. Alphonsus, Auburn; St. Patrick, Corning; St. Mary, Dansville; and St. Jerome, East Rochester.
In 1970, she completed a master’s of arts in history from Geneseo State Teachers College, now the Ella Cline Shear School of Education at SUNY Geneseo. That same year, she taught history at DeSales High School in Geneva and then at Nazareth Academy in Rochester until her retirement in 1980.
Following her retirement from teaching, Sister Bernardo worked on medical records at St. Joseph’s Convent Infirmary for two years. From 1982-87, she helped in the alumnae office at Nazareth Academy. After a sabbatical year, she launched a new career as a pastoral visitor at Dunn Towers in Gates and St. Philip Neri Parish in Rochester.
Sister Bernardo moved to the motherhouse in 2008 and continued in her prayer ministry.
She is survived by her cousins and her sisters in the congregation.
Sister Bernardo’s funeral liturgy was celebrated in the motherhouse chapel in Pittsford on May 13, 2016, with burial in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph Ministry Fund at www.ssjrochester.org or 150 French Road, Rochester, NY 14618.
