Sister Alberta Marie Hanley, MM

Born: July 16, 1925
Entered: September 7, 1943
Died: January 31, 1952

Form the “Motherhouse” newsheet you have already been alerted to the information cabled from Pusan a few days ago, mentioning the serious illness of Sister Alberta Marie. She was taken to the Army hospital.

It is now my sad duty to announce that our dear Sister passed away at 11 p.m. Thursday, Pusan time. This news came to us by an overseas telephone call from Sister Mary Mercy last night about 8:30 p.m. Sister mentioned having written a letter with details, but it did not get in until this morning.

The Navy is supplying a nice casket and doing the embalming. The funeral will be held Saturday morning at nine (about seven P.M., Friday, New York time). The burial will be on our own property. Both Community Masses at the Motherhouse this morning were offered for Sister’s soul by Fathers Cotta and Kent. Tonight we shall say the Office of the Dead at 7:30, which will coincide with the time of Sister Alberta Marie’s funeral Mass in Pusan.

Sister was born in 1925, and as Alberta Hanley entered Maryknoll September 7, 1943. She was received March 7, 1944, professed March 7, 1946. She attended Maryknoll Teacher Training School and then studied Far Eastern languages at Yale University, being assigned to Korea in 1951.

Sister Alberta Marie was just past twenty-six years of age – a beautiful religious and outstanding student. She was deeply interested in and devoted to her work and it seemed to all that she had a long, useful life ahead. She was truly exemplary and God evidently saw her as a flower, ripe for eternity. While we are all stunned at her sudden passing, bow in loving surrender to Our Heavenly Father’s claim, and even rejoice that she has merited an early reward of her whole-souled, generous consecration. We know she will be interceding for her bereaved family and for all of us, as well as for the poor, harassed people of Korea for whom she labored so happily. Let us not forget her in prayer. We are all proud of her achievement for truly she “accomplished much in a short time.”