Sister Josephine Murphy
A funeral Mass was celebrated for Sister Josephine (Josephine Ann) Murphy on Saturday, Dec. 9, in the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland. She passed away Dec. 3 at the age of 94.
Sister Josephine was born on Dec. 29, 1928, in Richmond, to Josephine Ann (Ross) and John Joseph Murphy. She was a parishioner of St. Patrick, Richmond, and graduated from the now-closed St. Patrick School in 1945.
Sister Josephine entered the Daughters of Charity on April 7, 1946. She earned her bachelor’s degree in secretarial science in 1965 from St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg and her master’s in social work in 1973 from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Sister Josephine was missioned as a group worker with children at St. Joseph’s Villa in Richmond from 1969-1975, becoming administrator there for the next two years. She was also a group worker at homes in Baltimore, Maryland; Farmington Hills, Michigan; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Rhinebeck, New York, before serving in Richmond.
After her time in Richmond, Sister Josephine had assignments in Emmitsburg and Baltimore, and then served 17 years as administrator of St. Ann’s Home in Hyattsville, Maryland. During that time, she lobbied before Congress to urge passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act, which became law in 1997.
She then served in South Carolina from 2005 until her death.
Sister Josephine was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Margaret Holloway and Catherine Lee; and her aunt, Sister Magdalen Ross, Daughter of Charity. She is survived by devoted nieces, nephews, cousins and the Sisters in her community. She is also remembered fondly by many of the children, now adults, that were under her care during her many years of service.