Sister Philip Marie Cirincione, SSJ 1929-2021

Sister Philip Marie Cirincione, SSJ, teacher and pastoral associate, died June 10, 2021, at the Sister of St. Joseph Residence in Clarence.

Born Sept. 15, 1929, in Falconer as Josephine Circincione, one of six children to Salvatore and Ramona Filutze Cirincione, Sister Philip Marie entered the Sisters of St. Joseph community right out of high school in 1947. She took her final vows in 1953.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Education from St. Joseph Teachers (now Medaille) College in 1964, then a master’s degree in elementary education from SUNY Buffalo State in 1974. She began her ministry by teaching elementary grades. Then from 1959-1965, she headed the nursery school program at Our Lady of Victory Infant Home in Lackawanna. Sister Philip Marie also taught at the Diocesan Educational Park and St. Boniface School in Buffalo, where she also served as principal.

Always concerned with social justice, Sister Philip Marie became part of a social justice ministry team at St. Boniface and Our Lady of Lourdes. When those parishes merged with two other inner-city parishes in1993, she became pastoral associate at the new St. Martin de Porres Parish, a role she held until 2013.   

She also served as general councilor for Sisters of St. Joseph, board member for Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity, and co-organizer of “A Taste of Richlawn” community picnic.

Sister Philip Marie is predeceased by her parents and siblings Vincent, Joseph, Fannie Morgante, Philip and Genevieve Songer.

A memorial Mass will be held at a later date.