Sister Miriam Racas
, a Sister of St. Francis of the Providence of God for 81 years, died at the age of 97 on May 16, 2022. Born April 6, 1925, in Detroit, MI, Sister Miriam joined the community in 1941 from St. George Parish and earned a B.A. and M.A. in Education at Duquesne University. She served more than 50 years in education beginning at St. Casimir in Pittsburgh, PA, followed by teaching assignments at St. Joseph in DuBois PA, St. George in Philadelphia PA, SS Peter & Paul in Elizabeth NJ, St. Peter in Kenosha, WI, St. Valentine in Bethel Park, PA, Holy Trinity in Moon Run, PA, St. George in Rochester NY, and SS Peter and Paul in Grand Rapids, MI. She served as principal at St. Casimir, St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin, and St. Valentine Schools in Pittsburgh, PA as well as Mt. St. Peter in New Kensington, PA Holy Trinity in Moon Run PA, St. Mary Magdalen in Homestead, PA, James Lavelle in West Mifflin, PA, and SS Peter and Paul in Grand Rapids, MI. Sister Miriam also served as principal of St. Francis Parish School in Gallup, NM from 1993-1997 as part of a collaborative outreach of the Franciscan Neumann-Bachmann heritage Communities collaborated to serve the poor in Roswell and Gallup, NM, especially Hispanic and Native American.
In the late 90s and early 2000s, Sister Miriam ministered at Covenant House in New York City, spent two years in our Utena, Lithuania mission as a pastoral minister, served as a dietary manager at the Franciscan Spirit & Life Center, and volunteered for various ministries. In retirement, Sister Miriam served as the Receptionist Coordinator at Pittsburgh Motherhouse for 9 years. In 2016, Sister Miriam moved to our Presbyterian SeniorCare Community in Oakmont, PA. Her ministry of presence and prayer included nurturing relationships with many she encountered throughout her eight decades of service through visits, phone calls, and correspondences until she was called to her eternal home.