Sister M. Mercedes Benko

April 19, 1930 - June 10, 2014

Sister M. Mercedes (Dorothy), in her 66th year of Profession, died on Tuesday, June 10, 2014, at Mount Assisi Convent in Pittsburgh, Pa. She was 84.

Sister entered the community from Divine Redeemer Church in Ambridge, Pa. in 1946 and professed her first vows in 1948 in Mount Assisi Convent Chapel in Pittsburgh, Pa. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Throughout her earlier years of ministry, Sister Mercedes taught grades one through six in parish schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and West Virginia. During her years of teaching, she played the organ in many of the parish churches. Later Sister Mercedes attended classes at Duquesne University and taught the business courses at Monongahela Valley Catholic High School in Monongahela, Pa., and at St. Francis Academy in San Antonio, Texas.

From 1978 through 1988 Sister ministered at director of education and parish social minister in the Pennsylvania towns of Russellton, Perryopolis and Ambridge. She then cared for her mother in Ambridge and worked in the finance office at Mount Assisi until her mother died in 1994. She then moved to Mount Assisi Convent. 

Sister Mercedes was very creative and loved to work with arts and crafts. In 1995 she was assigned to organize the Heritage Rooms for the community and continued crocheting and knitting beautiful afghans and other pieces of handiwork. She also began to organize the thousands of community photographs that were taken over the years. Sister Mercedes continued working in these areas until a few months before she died, even after she was diagnosed in 2012 as having a serious blood disease.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers John, Michael, George and Frank. Her sister Ann died in 2019. Sister is survived by her religious community and by many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

Sister is buried in St. Francis Cemetery at Mt. Assisi Place in Pittsburgh, Pa.