by Third Order Carmelites in Medford, NY with Douglas Lee
Reflection on Mother Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory
On November 21, 2025, Douglas Lee, TOC, Formation Director, offered a brief presentation and video on Mother Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory to the Lay Carmelite Community of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in Medford, NY. One member of the community shared this reflection on the experience:
“What a delight it was to be introduced to Mother Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory! For some of us, it was the first time learning about her. Others were already familiar with her life and ministry, and a few had even visited Avila in Germantown. We were deeply moved to learn more about our Carmelite sister—her indefatigable spirit, her cooperation with God’s grace, and her ability to work so effectively with bishops, priests, and laypersons to accomplish so much for the aged and infirm in America. Her life of trust, kindness, patience, ingenuity, and perseverance is an inspiration to us all.”
Mother Mary Angeline continues to stand as a powerful witness to compassionate service. Her example encourages us to remain attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, to offer ourselves generously in service, and to uphold the dignity of those most in need with tenderness and respect.
GUIDING THE MISSION AND MINISTRY ON BEHALF OF OUR ELDERS
by Sister Theresa Marie Pfeffer, O.Carm.
Residents cheering for their Olympic Curling teamSr. Theresa Marie visiting a residentSr. Theresa Marie greeting a resident
The Ministry Corner Guiding the Mission and Ministry on Behalf of Our Elders
Sr. Theresa Marie Pfeffer, O. Carm.
The bonds between the nursing home facilities and the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, have always been close. Whether the Home is owned by the Congregation, or the Diocese, or has some other shared method of governance, the Sisters – keeping alive the spirit of Venerable Mother Angelines Teresa, O.Carm. – have always sought to enrich and guide the mission and ministry on behalf of the aged and infirm residents according to the charism and Philosophy of Care of the Carmelite Sisters. This means assuring at every level the Catholic identity of a facility, its adherence to the protection of the quality and sanctity of life for all receiving care, and conducting the ministry according to the principles and quality levels to which the Carmelite Sisters, and the Carmelite System, are dedicated whether they are clinical, spiritual, or human needs.
A dynamic way in which this is accomplished is by the assigning of a Sister General Councilor as the liaison to each nursing facility. This Sister visits the facilities assigned to her regularly, attends Board Meetings, and is present to the Administration and staff as an encouraging witness to the Carmelite mission. The Sister also remains present to the Carmelite Sisters in the local situation, paying attention to them and dialoguing with them as they engage in the hands-on ministry in each location. Within the facility, the Sister assists in setting things right when necessary, and facilitates the assurance that the care of the elderly is done correctly and according to established protocols, that no abuse or mismanagement is tolerated, and that each resident is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve and that has been promised to them. The Sister also can bring back to the General Council issues that needs to be treated at a higher level of management, and to engage system-wide improvements and upgrades so that Carmelite care is always up-to-date and forward directed.
Each local facility boasts of staff, Sisters, and volunteers who are talented and committed to long term health care conducted in an atmosphere of compassion and respect. The Sisters who visit from Avila are an important part of this mission, always seeking to build up in a truly Christian environment, a beautiful home for God’s elderly. Often, we don’t see the efforts that are made, and yet each contribution is critical and valuable.
On January 21, 2026, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm and invited guests gathered at Saint Teresa’s Motherhouse Chapel to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of Venerable Mary Angeline Teresa’s entrance to eternal life.
The principal celebrant and homilist was Rev. James Miara of the Archdiocese of New York, with Very Rev. Mario Esposito, O.Carm. as the Master of Ceremonies. Invited members of the clergy included Rev. James Donlon, Rev. Gregg Durham, O.Carm., and Rev. James Hess, O.Carm. Mr. Matthew Wise, Mr. Anthony Mathison, Mr. Munoz, and Mr. Edmund Holmes, the Carmelite Brothers of the Saint Elias Province, assisted in the liturgy.
Among the invited guests were members of the McCrory family, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, members of the Cause and Charism Commission, the Sisters for Life, and staff members of the Carmelite System. The celebration concluded with a special reception. It was a beautiful day to remember and honor the life and legacy of this woman who gave her life in service to the vulnerable elderly and left us a legacy of respect for life in all its stages.
Excerpts from Fr. Miara’s homily:
“When Mother Angeline founded the Carmelite Sisters almost 100 years ago, she did so because she felt a divinely inspired call to care for the elderly in a new way ….Mother desired the residents in the Carmelite facilities to be treated with dignity, and the whole person served, physically, socially and spiritually, regardless of race, color, or creed.
…. We see over and over again the effects of the inspiration of Mother Angeline in the lives of people through the manner of her charity, her sensitivity, her delicacy and her graciousness in the work of caring for the elderly and ill, and in promoting the value and sanctity of life as it comes under attack in so many subtle and lethal ways in today’s “throwaway culture” as decried by Pope Francis. Every individual person whether young or old, healthy or infirm has a God-given dignity and right to life. The vulnerable are not burdens, the suffering are not disposable, the end of life is not to be hastened but held sacred, as there is value in human suffering when united to the Cross of Christ and His Passion. Life is to be protected at every stage offering care, not killing, showing compassion, not letting those who are served fall into despair.
… Mother Angeline is a wonderful patroness for the cause of life, and her values and virtues indispensable in maintaining the attitude of charity and respect for the vulnerable that should mark the lives of all Christian people and human society. So, together with Our Lady, the Queen and splendor of Mt. Carmel, and Venerable Mother Angeline her faithful daughter, go forth in haste to glorify God by reverencing life in all its stages.”
Our newly elected pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, is well aware of the pervasive influence digital media and technology have on human society. He regularly shares his teachings and insights on his social media accounts (as moderated through the Vatican) and has expressed his support of using artificial intelligence (AI) as a means of evangelization. Wisely, he cautions that we should thoughtfully and prayerfully implement this new technology so that it “respects human dignity and elevates spiritual understanding.”
However, serious concerns about AI are being voiced from many different aspects of society. Teachers are frustrated that students are using it to complete assignments and that it is depriving our young people of the ability to think deeply and critically. White collar workers are anxious that their jobs will be quickly replaced by this new technology; lawyers, accountants, computer programmers know that much of what they do can be accomplished quicker and more cheaply by AI. In the healthcare field, there are plans to use AI to more efficiently diagnose diseases and help make clinical decisions. What makes AI qualitatively different from how computers functioned in the past is that AI is extremely proficient in replicating human interactions. This is why it is used as “bots” on many websites to respond to customer questions. It can mimic human conversation and actually learn new responses based on the prompts it receives.
One place where AI robots are proposed to be deployed is with the care of the elderly. Many elderly spend hours or days without any kind of meaningful human interaction. They may not have any family or friends nearby who can regularly visit them, so they often live lonely, isolated lives. And studies have shown that loneliness can be as detrimental to one’s health as any physical ailment. Thus the idea of using AI robots to help alleviate this human suffering is well intentioned. What could be so wrong with using robots to help bring some companionship into the life of our elderly?
The danger is that what these AI robots offer is not genuine companionship or emotions, but mere simulations of it. They are, in a sense, exploiting the loneliness of a human being and providing them with an artificial substitute for care and affection. Human beings crave real human relationships and can never truly be satisfied by an algorithm that mimics love.
Mother Angeline, in founding the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, believed that the elderly need and deserve to spend the autumn of their lives in a home-like environment, an environment that responds to loneliness and isolation with human compassion. An AI robot can provide distraction for an old person, but it cannot offer genuine kindness as it has no soul, no heart. Mother Angeline instructed her young sisters that “ the best and most efficient way to deal with old people is to be kind. No school can teach you this lesson. It comes from a heart that is filled with the love of God’. Just as Jesus Christ was the Incarnation of God in human form, we as Christians are called to incarnate His love to those who need it: the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the elderly. We cannot outsource our Christian vocation to a computer program, no matter how sophisticated it may be.
The charism of Mother Angeline flows into the Congregation that she founded, and the Sisters today believe wholeheartedly that each human life is sacred and worthy of respect and dignity. Because the elderly are made in the image and likeness of God, they deserve the love and attention that only another human being can offer. No program, no machine can replicate the gift of self that occurs when one person reaches out to another in need.
A way this AI technology continues to develop and work its way into our lives, may we learn to use it in a that truly respects human dignity and builds up the human community according to God’s plan.
On January 21, 2026, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm gathered at Saint Teresa’s Motherhouse Chapel in Germantown, New York to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Venerable Mary Angeline Teresa’s entrance to eternal life. The actual date was January 21, 1984 when she passed away, which was also her day of birth!
The Holy Mass was celebrated by the principal celebrant and homilist, Rev. James Miara of the Archdiocese of New York, with Rev. Mario Esposito, O.Carm. as the Master of Ceremonies. At the altar were other invited members of the Clergy- Rev. James Donlon, Rev. Gregg Durham, O.Carm., and Rev. James Hess, O.Carm. We are also grateful to our Carmelite Pre-Novices of the Saint Elias Province, for assisting at the liturgy. Other invited guests were members of the McCrory family, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, The Mother Angeline Society members, Sisters for Life, Trish Gathers of the Carmelite System, and other special guests. The celebration concluded with a special reception. It was a beautiful day to remember and honor the life and legacy of this woman who gave her life in service to the vulnerable elderly and left us a legacy of respect for life in all its stages which is the theme of this year’s celebration.
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