Please Pray for
the repose of the soul of
Sister Marita Cunningham
Aug. 7, 1917 to Oct. 5, 2012
Sister Marita Cunningham (also known as Sister Mary Ita) died peacefully at Our Lady of Mercy Convent, Auburn, CA, on Friday, October 5, 2012. She was born on August 7, 1917 in Longford, Ireland, the eldest of six children of Peter and Elizabeth (Mahon) Cunningham. She was educated by the Sisters of Mercy in elementary and secondary schools in Longford, something that gave her great pride.
In reflecting on her life on her 75th jubilee, she shared the beginning of her vocation story: "When I was 18 years old and praying for others to discern whether they would enter religious life, I suddenly realized that I was being called and my choice never wavered from that time on."
In 1935, Marita joined eleven other young women, who had been recruited throughout Ireland, and together they made their way by boat across the Atlantic and then by train across the country to enter the Sisters of Mercy at St. Joseph Convent, Sacramento on October 10, 1935. She was professed on May 14, 1938 and made final vows on September 8, 1941.