A life of ministry

The journey of Celia Sirois came to an end on December 2nd, 2022.

Originally from Watertown, Maine, Celia was born in 1947 to Louis and Cecile Sirois, the eldest of 7 children.  She was the beloved companion of Karen Wischmeyer, with whom she helped raise Karen's five children.  She will be missed by them all and their families:  Bill and Michele Murphy of Annapolis, MD, Brian and Kimberly Murphy of Duxbury, MA; Kevin and Mary Beth Murphy of Hingham, David and Lia Murphy of Duxbury, Caitlin Murphy and Jonathan Robin of Norwell and the 11 grandchildren who knew her as Mem- Hailee, Hunter, Kayla Murphy, Kenzie Murphy, Nina and Jack Murphy, Alison and John Murphy and William, Andrew and Caroline Robin.

Celia's life was one marked by ministry both in her private life, through caring for her family, as well as in her professional life, making the richness and the history of The Bible accessible, and therefore meaningful to all, both clergy and laypersons.  She graduated summa cum laude from Boston College with a BA in English and from Providence College with a MA in Sacred Scripture Studies.  She began her teaching career at Ursuline Academy, Dedham and Notre Dame Academy, Hingham.  When she transitioned to teaching adults, she directed CHRISM, a program in the South Shore where she taught scripture classes in many parishes throughout the area.  For twenty years, she was co-director of New Directions, a collaborative program with the archdiocese of Boston and the Anti-Defamation League, presenting workshops and courses to educate Catholics about anti-Semitism.  She taught scripture in the Masters of Ministry (MAM) program and to the deacons through the auspices of St. John's Seminary.  Celia was the published author of seven books, for daily scripture study and two children's books to help children relate to others of different faiths.  She also translated from French, the scholarly work on Saint Paul entitled Paul, Least of the Apostles: The Story of the Most Unlikely Witness to Christ by Alain Decaux.  She was a recipient of the 1993 Cheverus Award Medal, an award for laypersons, presented by Cardinal Seán O'Malley for service for an extended period of time, performed in a quiet, unassuming, and perhaps unrecognized fashion.

Celia was a brilliant scholar and teacher and shared this intelligence with  laypersons, deacons and priests.  For some, this is what made the Catholic faith feel important and relevant in their lives.  By making the complexities of Scripture and the teachings of Jesus understandable, she reached the hearts and minds of the people in the pews and for some, brought grown Catholics back to their faith.

While studying and learning and pursuing her career, she was also helping to raise five active children.  She will be fondly remembered for packing school lunches daily, making large homemade dinners on her way out to teach night classes, her homemade chewies, and her epic efforts to help "the kids" complete term papers, book reports, dioramas, and school projects of all kinds.  Her artistic skills were well-known and may certainly have played a part in some much-needed passing grades!

Celia could pull order out of chaos, seen in daily family life and in boisterous family holidays. No one will forget the color and magic of Christmases, the "Free to be You and Me" parties, many Birthday parties and epic Easter basket scavenger hunts that, for some kids, required driving across town, or hunting by the neighborhood stream to find the basket! She was the magic maker behind the scenes, far from the center of the action.  She would create the magic, then be found tidying the kitchen, getting ready for the next meal.  She preferred to give and did not like the attention of receiving gifts. She was a lover of books (a love that was second only to dogs, children and family) and when the proverbial dust had settled (of course there was no real dust in her house) she was happiest reading and studying, or walking her Schnauzer, Fraulein.

Celia was predeceased by her brothers Paul and Gene Sirois.  She is survived by her siblings and their families: Tom and Janet Sirois, Anne Sirois, Colette Sirois and Liz and Bob Letellier as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

She will be remembered for her intelligence, her overwhelming generosity and her dedication to the people whom she loved.  She will also be remembered for her shy demeanor coupled with her strong stance on social justice that was best witnessed in her weekly scripture classes that brought the teachings of Jesus to the front of our minds - to love and care for the poor, homeless, ostracized, and the misunderstood.

The family is grateful to Duxbury House Memory Care for the excellent attention Celia received in the last year of her life.  Also, they are grateful to the Palliative Care Team at South Shore Hospital for the warm care during the last week of her life.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Friends of the Homeless of the South Shore https://friendsofhomeless.org/donate-to-massachusetts-shelter/

PO Box 202, N. Weymouth, MA 02191

781-340-1604

A Celebration of Life Mass will be held at Glastonbury Abbey, Hingham at 10am on December 26th.

Friends of the Homeless of the South Shore
PO Box 202, N. Weymouth MA 02191
Tel: 1-781-340-1604
Web: https://friendsofhomeless.org/donate-to-massachusetts-shelter/