BELMONT — Sister Mary Andrew Ray, a beloved member of the Sisters of Mercy and devoted educator, passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of her community, on Feb. 8, 2025.
Services will be held Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at Sacred Heart Convent (Cardinal Gibbons Chapel) 500 Sacred Heart Circle in Belmont, with viewing from 10 to 11 a.m. and the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. A reception will follow. Interment will take place at Belmont Abbey Cemetery at 1:30 p.m.
The Mass will be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/share/p/1BVPujWQo7.
Hazel Rita Ray was born Jan. 30, 1935, at Mercy Hospital in Charlotte, the youngest of four children to Frederick C. Ray, originally from Waycross, Georgia, and Helen Kidd Ray of Charlotte. The Ray family was also one of the founding members of St. Patrick Catholic Parish (now St. Patrick Cathedral) in Charlotte.
A dedicated student and spirited teenager, she attended St. Patrick School, formerly known as O’Donoghue School, where her love for learning and passion for helping others first blossomed. After many hints from several Sisters of Mercy, she entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1952, marking the beginning of a remarkable journey of service and education.
Sister Mary Andrew earned her Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies from Sacred Heart College/Belmont Abbey College. With an unwavering commitment to education, she played a pivotal role in implementing an English as a Second Language program while ministering at Sacred Heart College. Her dedication to teaching ESL students led her to pursue a master’s degree in English as a Second Language at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont.
Throughout her illustrious career, Sister Mary Andrew touched countless lives as she taught at various Catholic schools in North Carolina, including St. Mary’s in Wilmington, St. Michael’s in Gastonia, Our Lady of the Assumption in Charlotte, St. Gabriel’s and St. Patrick’s, to list a few. She also served at the former military academy in Belmont, North Carolina, which was run by the Sisters of Mercy.
An active and dedicated member of the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Mary Andrew held the position of Secretary General and worked as the Director of Special Services at Sacred Heart College. One of her greatest passions was serving as the assistant archivist at Sacred Heart Convent, where she worked tirelessly to preserve the stories and legacies of the sisters.
As she embraced her illness in her final years, Sister Mary Andrew remained a beacon of hope and strength, inspiring all who knew her with her motto, “Jesus, I trust in You.” Her unwavering faith and compassion shone brightly through her service to the community, and she will be remembered as a true embodiment of mercy and love. Her spirit of service and love will live on in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her.
She is survived by her devoted cousins, nephews, nieces, and her beloved sisters of the Sisters of Mercy community.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to either the Sisters of Mercy, 101 Mercy Dr., Belmont, N.C. 28012, or The Parkinson’s Foundation (www.parkinson.org).
— Catholic News Herald
BELMONT — Mercy Sister Ray Maria McNamara, gifted ministry leader and former principal of St. Patrick Catholic School in Charlotte, died Dec. 22, 2024, in Athens, Georgia, aged 76.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, at Sacred Heart Convent, 103 Mercy Dr., Belmont, N.C. 28012. Immediately after the Mass, the Sisters will provide lunch, and a graveside service will take place at 1:30 p.m. at Belmont Abbey Cemetery. Those planning to stay for lunch should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The funeral Mass will be streamed live at www.facebook.com/groups/871835437805371.
She was born on April 3, 1948, in Greenville, South Carolina, the daughter of James Patrick McNamara and Catherine Fewell McNamara. She was the oldest of six siblings, three of whom – William Fewell, James Patrick and Michael Joseph – still live in or near Greenville. She grew up in a family that valued education and excellence in whatever endeavors she and her brothers and sister pursued. She loved classical music, played several instruments and had a beautiful singing voice. In her teen years, she was a competitive swimmer. Both she and her sister Katie were state champions in swimming. She often spoke of how much at home she felt in the water. She developed an interest in science which remained important to her throughout her life – no matter what education or ministry she pursued.
She attended Holy Rosary Elementary School and Greenville High School, before matriculating at Clemson University to study biology. She earned a Bachelor of Science at Clemson University in 1970. Shortly after graduation, she entered the Monastery of the Poor Clares in Greenville. After several years she recognized that she did not have a vocation to cloistered life. She taught at St. Mary’s School in Greenville for several years and still felt a call to live religious community life. She was drawn to the community of the Sisters of Mercy in Belmont, where she entered in July of 1977. She made perpetual profession as a Sister of Mercy in 1981.
She often talked about her years as an elementary and middle school teacher in Florida and in Charlotte. Even without formal training in education, she enjoyed awakening interest in the sciences for her students. In 1992, she became principal of St. Patrick Catholic School in Charlotte.
She was invited by her community to study theology, and in 1997 she began a program leading to a Masters in Theology and ultimately to a Doctorate at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. In 2005 she earned a Doctorate in Christian Spirituality. Her area of interest combined spirituality and ecology, drawing on the scientific background she loved. She taught theology at the University of Portland until 2010, when the Sisters of Mercy asked her to assume responsibility for Mission Advancement for her community. She later worked in staff formation for her community.
She was a deeply spiritual woman who had great confidence in God, and a love of beauty and joy in living.
Most recently she ministered at St. Mary’s Health Care System in Athens, where she worked with the administration to assist in living out the spiritual mission of the hospital. She combined patient contact and conversation with staff members throughout the system. Her many interests and the scope of her work allowed her to interact with the youngest infants and the most sophisticated hospital staff. These final years of ministry were very happy ones for her, as she felt she could draw on her many life experiences and her best talents.
She is survived by family members William Fewell and Linda McNamara, James Patrick and Beth McNamara, and Michael Joseph McNamara, as well as several nieces and nephews and extended family members. She was predeceased by her parents, sister Katie and brother Tim.
McLean Funeral Directors of Belmont is in charge of the arrangements.
— Catholic News Herald