Sister Mary Edmund Speer, SC, in her 80th year of religious life

Sister Mary Edmund Speer, SC, entered eternal life on Friday, July 18, 2025, at the age of 99, at Caritas Christi, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in Greensburg. She had recently celebrated her 80th year of religious commitment as a Sister of Charity of Seton Hill.

A native of Butler, Pennsylvania, Sister Mary Edmund was born on June 17, 1926, and entered the congregation of the Sisters of Charity on September 8, 1945, from Saint Paul Parish in Butler. She was the only daughter of Howard and Elizabeth A. (Hume) Speer Cochran and is survived by cousins and the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill.

Sister Mary Edmund earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Seton Hill University and a master’s degree in chemistry from Xavier University in Cincinnati. Her active ministry included teaching secondary school students in the dioceses of Altoona-Johnstown, Greensburg, and Pittsburgh. For ten years, she taught part-time at Butler Catholic School while also serving part-time at Saint Paul Parish in Butler.

Following her retirement from teaching, Sister Mary Edmund transitioned to a full-time position as pastoral minister at Saint Paul Parish. In this role, she visited Butler Memorial Hospital every day of the week, praying for each patient. Additionally, she visited twenty nursing homes each month, ministering to a total of 180 residents.

Her unwavering commitment to caring for others—both in education and in pastoral ministry—was widely recognized. In January 2001, she received the Manifesting the Kingdom Award from the Diocese of Pittsburgh, honoring her exceptional contributions to making God’s presence visible in the community.

In June 2009, after thirty-one years of dedicated service in Butler, Sister Mary Edmund moved from the area. In recognition of her contributions, the Rotary Club of Butler County awarded her the Paul Harris Fellowship Award, one of the highest honors bestowed by Rotary International. The award recognized her “tangible and significant assistance in promoting better understanding and friendly relations among the people of the world,” and her commitment to the Rotary principle of “Service Above Self.”

Hardworking and devoted, Sister Mary Edmund left Butler with the words of our foundress, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton: “I carry you constantly in my heart before the God who loves us.”

Sister continued her ministry of care and compassion during her retirement at Caritas Christi. A staff member once remarked, “She is an everyday hero but doesn’t seek recognition for the many tasks she performs—despite her young age in the 90s!” The Sisters are grateful for the loving support and care Sister Mary Edmund offered to many of the sisters at Caritas Christi. They are also deeply appreciative of the nursing staff and employees of the Motherhouse for the compassionate care they provided to Sister Mary Edmund.

With Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Company of Charity, we trust that Sister Mary Edmund now rests in the peace of God, who promises: “At all events, come what may, I rest in God.”

Family and friends will be received at Caritas Christi, 129 DePaul Center Road, Greensburg on Monday, July 21, 2025 from 2:00 pm to 6:30 pm. A prayer vigil sharing memories in the Chapel of the Assumption will follow at 7:00 pm.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 at 10:30 am in the Chapel of Assumption at Caritas Christi. Burial will immediately follow Mass in the Sisters’ Cemetery.

The funeral liturgy will be live-streamed; access through the link: https://venue.streamspot.com/2af9e1eb

If you wish to offer prayers or remembrances, you may do so by emailing [email protected]. Memorial contributions may be made to Sisters of Charity, DePaul Center, 144 DePaul Center Road, Greensburg, PA 15601.  For more information, visit the website, www.scsh.org.