Sister Therezon Sheerin, CSJ

We Remember her in the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer.

September 28, 1929 – August 17, 2025

In the 80ᵗʰ year of her Religious Life.

Entered: September 10, 1967

How often Sister Therezon enriched the lives of others – those who had a need, with her teaching, her presence, her wisdom, or with her prayerfulness!

Our Gospel reading reminds us that we have been anointed by our God to bring Good News to the poor.  Those who are poor in mind, heart and spirit. How often Sister Therezon enriched the lives of others – those who had a need, with her teaching, her presence, her wisdom, or with her prayerfulness!

Mary Harolde Sheerin was born in New York on September 28, 1927 to Harold and Anastasia Sheerin. The family relocated to Jamaica Plain within a few years.  Mary and her sister Constance were very close in their early years and continued that relationship after Mary entered the convent and Connie married and had her six children. Mary was very much a part of her Connie’s life, as well as her children’s lives.

After graduation from Mount St. Joseph Academy, Mary entered the Sisters of St. Joseph, receiving the religious name Sister Mary Therezon. Soon she began her long career of teaching and learning. While studying at Regis for her degree in chemistry, she taught in several elementary schools in the Archdiocese: in Lynn, West Lynn, and Somerville. 

Between 1959 and 1961, Sister Therezon studied psychology at Catholic University and earned her Master’s Degree. Then began her 30+ years of teaching at Regis College, influencing the lives of so many young women. Sister Therezon participated in workshops, Summer Institutes, sabbaticals, and extra courses for enrichment and further study. A voracious reader, she sought opportunities to stimulate her mind with Academic Publications as well as a wide variety of reading materials.  The New York Times along with so many books were faithful companions, even to her most recent days at Bethany Health Care Center. She was truly a life-long learner. While in Framingham, she oversaw the use of the library with great expertise.  How she thoroughly enjoyed traveling – a trip to Scotland, a trip to Rome! Wonderful adventures, but also great learning experiences!

After Sister Therezon resigned from her teaching at Regis, she began a new ministry within the Congregation, as our Archivist. Her wisdom and organization, her dedication and knowledge were such great assets in this ministry. She was always willing to search diligently for needed information. Little did the rest of us know the importance of keeping these annals for the future? In the midst of this work, she always had time for her morning and afternoon cup of tea. 

Community was so very important to her. Her local community, many of whom she lived with for over 50 years, moved together from Regis College, to Arlington, and from there to the Motherhouse. Betty Cawley, CSJ, Lee Hogan, CSJ, Sister Sarah, and Ann Marie Grady, CSJ, were wonderful and close friends of Therezon’s. They shared days of work and relaxation. Their opportunities for prayer, for enjoyment, for commitment to the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph were key elements in their lives. These moments of community enabled her to reach out more effectively to others – students, former students, friends, and colleagues. She had a wonderful memory, a great ability to analyze and carefully think through any situation. At Bethany and St. Joseph Hall, she enriched the lives of residents and staff.  Her compassion, prayerfulness, and caring hospitality were gifts to all with whom she interacted. 

Sister Mary, as her nieces and nephews called her, was wonderful to them.  She was at all the family celebrations (often bringing her friends along), remembered the birthday and special occasions, and treasured the vacations and outings that they shared.  She knew what was happening in each one’s life.  They valued their time with her.  She truly had two families, her birth family and her CSJ family, and both were so essential her. For a brief time, she combined the two, when she brought her mother to live with her at Regis. 

On the front of your program is a quote from our Constitution, “Our Life of prayer is a dynamic relationship with God, an ever-increasing intimacy with the God who is the source and center of our lives.  The quote continues, “Fidelity to prayer is our response individually and corporately, to this personal and loving God.”

We certainly know that Sister Therezon now enjoys a much deeper and more intimate relationship with her God. Let us thank her for sharing that faith-filled relationship with all of us.

Reflection given by Mary Ellen O’Connell, CSJ