Sister Jacinta Marie Potochney died in Camilla Hall on March 24, 2023. Sister was in the 66th year of her religious life.
Lorraine Ann Potochney was born on January 21, 1940, in Mt. Carmel, PA. Lorraine and her siblings were raised in St. Ignatius Parish in Centralia; she attended St. Ignatius Elementary School (1945-1953) and Mt. Carmel Catholic High School (1953-1957). Later, while in the Community, Sister earned an A.B. degree in French from Immaculata College and an M.A. degree in Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
Sister entered the Congregation on July 16, 1957; she received her habit and her religious name, Sister Jacinta Marie, on January 16, 1958; and she professed First Vows on January 16, 1960.
Shortly after Sister Jacinta Marie professed First Vows, she began her ministry of teaching children and serving in the parishes where she was assigned. Sister taught children from January 1960 through the school year ending 2000. Sister served children and families in St. Thomas, Philadelphia; St. Louis, Yeadon; St. Aloysius Academy, Bryn Mawr; Villa Maria Primaria in Santiago, Chile; St. Joan of Arc, Philadelphia; Incarnation, Trenton; Villa Maria, LaPlanicie, Peru; and St. Peter, Reading.
Sister’s last teaching mission was Queen of Peace School in Shamokin. Sister taught 8th grade children for 7 years, after which she continued to serve for an additional 12 years providing secretarial support to the administration and valuable assistance in the library for the children.
In August 2012, Sister Jacinta joined the Apostolate of Prayer Community at our Convent Home at Camilla Hall. Sister Jacinta was a faithful and prayerful IHM Sister until her death on March 24, 2023. God rest her beautiful soul.
In addition to her IHM Community, her Local Community at Camilla Hall, and her band Sister Jacinta Marie is survived by her sisters Sonja Awe, Patricia Rice, Virginia Fleming (Roger), her sister-in-law Nancy, and her nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. Sister Jacinta Marie is predeceased by her parents Nicholas Potochney and Isabel Klimchak, her stepfather John Klimchak, her sister Lynn Jones, her brother Nicholas Potochney and her brothers-in-law Herb Awe and Charles Rice.
Reverend Michael Callaghan, C.M. and Reverend John Burger, S.S.C. concelebrated Sister Jacinta Marie’s Funeral Mass on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to:
Camilla Hall Nursing Home
IHM Mission Advancement Office
230 IHM Drive
Malvern, PA 19355