Marion Steiner, CDP

We commend to your charity the soul of our beloved
Sister Marion Steiner
who departed this life on July 5, 2011
in the eighty-second year of her religious life
Age: 99 years, 4 months, 20 days
Funeral: Friday, July 8, 2011 at 4 p.m.

“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them…He laid His hands on them, and blessed them.” (Mark 10: 14, 16)

Sister Marion was welcomed to heaven by her parents, five brothers and three sisters. They had been missing her presence there at the eternal banquet for a very long time! Now the celebration of her life will continue for all eternity with her Provident God and family! Agnes Steiner, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Schaff Steiner, was the seventh child of ten. Over these last years of her life, Sister Marion grew very close to her younger and only living sister, Marie, and to many of her nieces and nephews.

Educated as a teacher and later as a principal, Sister Marion shared her love for children, faculty, staff and parents for 55 years in schools in the Pittsburgh Diocese except when in Michigan. She opened two schools – St. Sylvester School in 1948 and then Queen of Peace, Detroit, Mich., in 1950. She spent a total of 26 years at Providence Heights Alpha School. Retiring from teaching in 1986, Sister Marion spent the remaining years of her life in the ministry of prayer – much of it in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament “driving” her electric cart into the chapel to pray for her loved ones, the Congregation, and the needs of the world, or traveling down the first floor hall, quietly stopping at each office, praying for the person who worked there. Sister Marion also spent many of her years of retirement making a variety of crafts for community fundraisers. She was instrumental in the creation of a beauty salon for the retired Sisters, offering her services as their beautician. 

Sister Marion shared her belief about the need for Catholic education when she said in 2001, “I am convinced that the gentle strength of Gospel teaching provides an inspired atmosphere for developing sound principles of living faith. Catholic education instructs children to become faith-persons in their relationship to God, to others and to the world about them. Early in life I learned the values of loving concern, faith and importance of education. As a teacher and principal, I applied the lesson of loving concern to children I taught by patience, understanding and compassion with them. …After fifty-five years as an educator in various Catholic schools, I can say that I do not attribute success in my many and varied enterprises to my own ability but, rather, I give thanks to the Holy Spirit who can and does turn all effort to good.”

We will miss Sister Marion’s familiar presence before the Blessed Sacrament, where she prayed so ardently for her loved ones, the Congregation, the world, and all who worked at Providence Heights. May she, in the eternal presence of God, continue to intercede for us so that we may experience the blessings of Christ! Let us often recall the lessons we have learned from Sr. Marion each time we enter the House of God to pray and be blessed.

Feast Day: September 12

Written by Sister Carol Stenger

If you would like to make a gift to the Sisters of Divine Providence in memory of Sister Marion, visit our donation page.