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Obituaries

Sister Mary Diggins, Longtime China Missioner

She had been a Maryknoll sister for 71 years.

Sister Mary Diggins, MM, died Feb. 2, 2013, at Maryknoll Sisters Residential Care III in Ossining.

Born on January 10, 1924, in San Francisco, CA, to James and Catherine Cashman Diggins, Sister Mary was raised in St. Anne of the Sunset Parish, San Francisco, and graduated from the Academy of Presentation, also San Francisco in 1941.  She entered Maryknoll at their motherhouse in Ossining, NY, on December 8, 1941.

Following her first profession on June 30, 1944, Sister Mary served in the Maryknoll Seminary kitchen until 1946, when she was sent to China, studying Cantonese in Hong Kong from 1946-47 and in Wuchow from 1947-49.  On June 30, 1947, she made her final vows in Hong Kong and, following completion of language studies, worked in catechetics, first in Wuchou and Sye Wong in Kwangsi Province, from 1949-51, on the island of Mauritius from 1951-53, in Hong Kong in Chai Wan from 1953-60, and in Kwun Tong from 1960-73.

Sister Mary returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Ossining, NY, where she worked in promotion for the Development Department from 1974-76. She then returned to Hong Kong, where she continued to work in catechetics at Immaculate Heart Parish, Sau Mau Ping, from 1977-86.

From 1986-90, Sister Mary returned once again to the Center in New York, where she served in the direct mail office. She was then sent to Macau where she did pastoral work at Our Lady of Fatima Parish from 1991-2001.

Sister Mary then retired to the Maryknoll Sisters residence in Monrovia, CA, where she was involved in volunteer work and community services, working at, among  other places, the Santa Anita Family Services Senior Center once a week, from 2002-2011.  She returned to the Center in 2011 where she was part of the Chi-Rho Community Governance Team until her death.  Sister Mary donated her body to science.

Sister Mary is survived by her twin sister, Sister Eileen Diggins, PBVM, of the Sisters of the Presentation, San Francisco, CA.

A Vesper service will be held for Sister Mary on Monday, February 11, 2013, at 6:30 p.m., followed by a Memorial Mass at  11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 12, 2013, both to be held in the Annunciation Chapel at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Ossining. Funeral Arrangements were entrusted to  in Ossining.

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