Sister of Mercy Margaret Mary Mattle, formerly Sister Mary Magella, died May 16, 2018. She was 86 years old.
Sister Mattle entered the congregation from St. John the Evangelist, Rochester, and professed her perpetual vows in 1949.
She taught vocal and instrumental music at St. James and St. Salome, Irondequoit; St. Louis, Pittsford; Our Lady of Mercy High School, Brighton; and Catherine McAuley College, Rochester.
She was coordinator of prayer and liturgy for the sisters in the Rochester area and director of formation for the congregation beginning in 1967. She was a founding member of Rochester’s Mercy Prayer Center, where she offered spiritual direction and retreats.
She served in Santiago, Chile, for three years as a pastoral associate and spiritual director. When she returned to the U.S., she ministered to the rural poor in Bath, Steuben County. She retired in 2005 and lived at Mercy Prayer Center, where she continued her work as a spiritual director and retreat guide.
Sister Mattle is survived by her sisters, Sister of the Cenacle Annette Mattle and Mary Lou Brooks (Richard); several nieces and nephews; and her sisters in the congregation.
Her funeral liturgy was celebrated at the Mercy Center chapel in Brighton May 22, 2018, with burial in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Sisters of Mercy, 1437 Blossom Road, Rochester, NY 14610.
