Sister Patricia Marren (the former Sister Michael Maria), a Sister of Charity of St. Elizabeth, died January 6, 2009, at St. Anne Villa in Convent Station, N.J., at the age of 78.

Sister Patricia was born in Newark, N.J., the daughter of Michael and Bridget (Shirlock) Marren. She entered the Sisters of Charity on March 25, 1947, and was a member for 61 years.

Sister Patricia served as outreach minister from 1985 to 1988 and served as pastoral associate at Our Lady of Mercy Missions in Parsons from 1988 to 2000 and St. Bernadette Mission in Hedgesville from 2000 to 2004.

Sister Patricia was an educator in New Jersey. She served as a teacher at St. Aloysius Elementary School in Jersey City, N.J., from 1947 to 1949; St. Mary’s in Morristown, N.J., from 1949 to 1955; St. Joseph’s in Newark from 1959 to 1964 and as principal from 1964 to 1967. She taught for a short time at St. Antoninus in Newark in 1967 and St. Thomas in Bloomfield, N.J., from 1970 to 1971. Sister Patricia served as principal at Our Lady of Sorrows School in South Orange, N.J., from 1967 to 1968; St. Columba in Newark from 1968 to 1970 and St. Michael’s School in Newark from 1971 to 1976.

She served at the Southern Provincial House in West Orange as assistant provincial from 1976 to 1979 and as provincial from 1979 to 1985. She served at St. Margaret Parish in Homer, N.Y. She retired to St. Mary of the Assumption Convent in Elizabeth, N.J., in 2004 before moving to St. Anne Villa in 2005 where she resided until her death.

She is survived by several cousins and friends.

The Mass of Christian burial was celebrated at St. Anne Villa Jan. 9. Burial was on January 10 in Holy Family Cemetery in Convent Station.

In lieu of flowers, it is requested that contributions be made to the Sisters of Charity Development Fund, PO Box 476, Convent Station, NJ 07961-0476.