Sister Maureen Peter O’Connor died in Camilla Hall on September 28, 2026, having served for 69 years as a Sister, Servant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Born January 7, 1939, to her parents, John O’Connor and Mary (Tinney) O’Connor, Mary Cecilia was raised with her two brothers, John J. and Peter E. O’Connor and her nephew Dennis O’Connor in Most Blessed Sacrament Parish. Mary Cecilia attended Most Blessed Sacrament School for her elementary education before graduating from West Catholic High School for Girls in 1956. On July 16, 1957, she entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and went on to profess her first vows on January 16, 1960.
When Sister Maureen Peter’s dedication as a primary teacher began, little did she know it was a life to which she would dedicate herself for over five decades. Her teaching ministry began in Philadelphia, where she devoted herself to teaching first grade at St. Joan of Arc in Harrowgate, followed by four years in the northeast section of the city, and a subsequent assignment at St. Barnabas in southwest Philadelphia. In 1965, she moved to Sacred Heart in West Reading to teach combined first- and second-grade classes. Returning exclusively to first grade in 1969, she served at St. Thomas in Croydon and St. Joseph in Warrington, during which time she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Immaculata College.
Her ministry extended to Virginia Beach in 1973, where she taught first grade at St. Gregory the Great Parish before returning to the Philadelphia area in 1977 to serve at St. Andrew Parish in Newtown. Over the following years, Sister Maureen Peter continued her work with primary grade students in Lansford, Pennsylvania, at St. Teresa School in Runnemede, New Jersey, and at Blessed Virgin Mary School while living at St. Cyril Convent in East Lansdowne. In 1989, she completed her Master of Arts in Education at West Chester State University while teaching fifth grade at Our Lady of Grace in Somerdale, New Jersey. She later taught fourth grade at St. Barnabas in 1996 and fifth grade at St. Anselm Parish in 1997, which marked the conclusion of her elementary school teaching career.
Building on her background in education and having earned a certificate as a chemical dependency counselor from Penn State University in 1995, Sister Maureen Peter transitioned into high school counseling. She first served as a counselor to the students at Hallahan High School while residing at St. Joseph the Worker Convent and later St. Laurence Convent. From 2011 through 2024, she worked as a high school counselor at Bishop Shanahan High School while living at St. Agnes Convent in West Chester. Sister Maureen Peter retired to Camilla Hall in 2024, leaving behind a profound legacy of compassionate counsel, educational excellence, and devoted faith.
In addition to her IHM Community, Sister Maureen Peter is survived by her nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and her sisters-in-law, Dorothy and Maureen. Sister was preceded in death by her parents, John J. O’Connor and Mary (Tinney) O’Connor, her brothers John J. O’Connor Jr. and Peter E. O’Connor and her nephew Dennis O’Connor.
Sister Maureen Peter’s Funeral Liturgy was celebrated at Camilla Hall on Monday October 5, 2026. Reverend John E. Donia was the main celebrant and homilist; Reverend John Burger, CSC, Reverend Kevin Gallagher and Reverend Louis Monica joined as concelebrants.
In Sister Maureen Peter O’Connor’s memory, a donation may be sent to:
Camilla Hall Nursing Home
IHM Mission Advancement Office
230 IHM Drive
Malvern, PA 19355