Sister of Charity of Nazareth Mary Foeckler, formerly Sister Paula Francis, died July 23 in Nazareth, Ky. She was 93 and in her 67th year of religious life.
Sister Foeckler, a native of Washington, D.C., ministered in education in Kentucky and Arkansas, in pastoral ministry and as a leader in her congregation.
In the Archdiocese of Louisville, Sister Foeckler taught at St. Gregory School in Samuels, Ky., and served as principal of St. Cecilia School.
In 1980, she became secretary general for her congregation. From 1991-2007, Sister Foeckler ministered as outreach program coordinator at Flaget Memorial Hospital in Bardstown, Ky., assisting people in need in Nelson County. This ministry earned her the nickname “Mother Teresa of Nelson County.”
She also volunteered at Federal Hill Nursing Home in Bardstown. Sister Foeckler retired in 2007.
She is survived by her sister Margaret Murphy of Cheverly, Md., members of her extended family and her religious community.
The wake will be held July 30 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Nazareth. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated July 31 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul. It will be live-streamed at nazareth.org/live. Burial will follow in Nazareth Cemetery.
