Sister Alice Morrison, MM

Born: January 16, 1933
Entered: September 2, 1952
Died: October 7, 1980

Alice (Rosalia) Morrison, was born on January 16, 1933 in Warren, Pennsylvania, in the town founded by her great, great grandfather many years ago. Alice’s parents, Iona and Reno Morrison within a few years had three other children, Mary Catherine, Connie, and Jim. Alice finished high school in her home town of Warren and after working for a year with the Telephone Company, she entered Maryknoll in 1952. She and a dozen of her group spent their postulancy at the Venard. They later became the first group at Ladycrest Novitiate in Topsfield, Massachusetts.

At Reception time, Alice received the name of Marie Xavier. She made her first vows on March 7, 1955 and final vows six years later at the Motherhouse. After first vows Alice worked for several years with Sister Mary Paul McKenna in the Vocation Office; and graduated from Maryknoll Teacher College before being assigned to Central America in 1961. Her first work there was in the primary school in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. This was followed by 10 years as a primary teacher in Mexico and in Guatemala. In 1973, she began work on the Pastoral Team in Jacaltenango, Guatemala. In 1975, she moved to Huehuetenango and worked in training lay leaders – for rural communities – at the Apostolic Center there. She continued working in Huehuetenango with these “animators of the faith” until illness brought her to the States in 1979.

After a period at the Mission Renewal Program last year, Alice became the Director of Education here at The Center in January, 1980, where she worked until this summer when her illness rapidly grew worse.

Alice died peacefully and quietly at 2:45 a.m. on October 7th, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. A gentle woman, filled with strength, she died as she had lived, in peaceful trust and complete openness to the Lord.