Jubilarians: Sister Joan McKeon, Sister Mary Simon Robb, Sister Mary Shamus Zehrer

Sister Joan McKeon, RSM
70 Years

“I can only give thanks to God for
coming into my life and ‘sending me forth’ to many parts of the world, meeting so many beautiful people, and being the recipient
of many profound experiences.”

When Sister Joan McKeon left her home in Camden to join the Sisters of Mercy 70 years ago, little did she think that she would later travel to Asia.

Among her ministries, she has worked with the Jesuits in resettlement camps in Thailand where she taught and had the opportunity to visit neighboring countries.

Those experiences were later in her life as a Sister of Mercy.

Upon completion of her novitiate, she began her teaching career at St. Mary School in South Amboy. Teaching continued at St. Joseph School in Bound Brook, St. John School in Paulsboro and Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville.

She later moved to Mount St. Mary Academy in Plainfield (now Watchung) to serve as the director of admissions. “In this capacity, I met many boarding students whose homes were in South America or Asia. Here is where I began my interest in all things Asian,” she recalled. “To my delight, I was invited and attended the weddings of students from China and Korea.”

It was this interest that led her to become an ESL teacher and to pursue the opportunity to work with refugees, which she did as a member of the Camden diocesan resettlement staff.

She is currently retired and living at McAuley Hall in Watchung, embracing her heartfelt belief: “Truly, God, you are the ‘Way’ and in my deepest self I know that ‘God alone suffices.’”

The Sisters of Mercy are an international community of Roman Catholic women who dedicate their lives to the Gospel of Jesus and take vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service. Inspired by the life of Jesus and by their founder, Catherine McAuley, they envision a just world for people who are economically poor, sick and uneducated. They commit their lives to God and their resources to serve, advocate and pray for those in need throughout the world.

By Cori Urban, Contributing Editor

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Sister Mary Simon Robb, RSM
70 Years

“I realize that God guided me along an unusual path and gave me the graces to be able to respond. I pray that more women will be willing to accept God’s call to religious life and take my place.”

As Sister of Mercy Mary Simon Robb reflects on the various ministries in which she has served, she says she is “flooded with wonderful memories.”

Her education ministry was at St. Mary in Trenton, St. Mary in Bordentown, St. Joseph in North Plainfield, St. Mary Academy in Lakewood, St. James in Woodbridge and Holy Cross in Rumson.

She earned a degree in elementary education from Georgian Court University and a master’s in education from Trenton State College. She attended Rutgers University and was certified in social gerontology.

“Because I was attracted to being with the aged, I accepted the position of director at Bayshore Senior Center in Keansburg,” she said. She later served as executive director of the Office on Aging for Monmouth County. “This opened the door for me to be of assistance to seniors and their families who were need of assistance,” she said.

She served as coordinator of Adult Protective Services for the State of New Jersey and coordinator of the Ministry to the Aging for the Diocese of Trenton.

Later, she became the director of retirement for the Sisters of Mercy of New Jersey.

“For me, there was much satisfaction in all of this work,” she said.

Sister Mary also served as a parish minister in the Lavallette Church of St. Pio of Pietrelcina.

Over the years, she received many awards including a New Jersey Senate citation for compassionate involvement and profound commitment to serving the needs of the senior community of Monmouth County as exemplified by her receiving the Family Ties Award, and the Board of Chosen Freeholders, Monmouth County, Certificate of Recognition on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Monmouth County Office on Aging proclaimed May 9, 2000, as “Sister Mary Simon Robb Day” in Monmouth County.

She also received the Diocese of Trenton’s Nostrum Ecclesiam Tempus Award in recognition of extraordinary service and dedication to the Church of Jesus Christ, and induction into the Camden Catholic High School Hall of Fame.

She is now retired at McAuley Hall in Watchung.

By Cori Urban, Contributing Editor

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Sister Mary Shamus Zehrer, RSM
70 Years

“It was those sisters who … were examples to me. They were the ones who made me want to be a nun, because they were always so happy.”

Despite 70 years of a life devoted to the Church, Religious Sister of Mercy Shamus Zehrer never thought as she was finishing high school that she would be a nun.

“I loved the sisters and all, but I never had a desire or even thought of it,” Sister Shamus said recently from her retirement home at Mount St. Mary Academy in Watchung.

“I wasn’t what you would say a prize student in any form.”

Yet, Sister Shamus, who professed her final vows in September 1954, went on to become an educator at Catholic schools throughout New Jersey. She began teaching at elementary schools in the Trenton Diocese before it split off into the Metuchen Diocese in 1981.

Sister Shamus, who grew up in Woodbridge and was educated by Mercy sisters throughout her scholastic career, spent most of her professional time at schools along the New Jersey shore – Atlantic City specifically. She taught at Holy Spirit before moving to Our Lady Star of the Sea in 1968.

Eight years later, she became Our Lady’s principal – a post she held nearly 40 years, retiring in June 2014.

“I probably was the happiest and luckiest person around, because I loved teaching,” Sister Shamus said. “I loved being principal and most of all I loved the people.”

The people of Atlantic City reciprocated in 2017, when city council renamed a section of California Avenue near Our Lady “Sister Shamus Way.”

“I’m not bragging,” she said. “I’m very proud of it.” She’s also proud of becoming a nun.

“It’s not easy to leave your family and friends, and go into a world you’re not familiar with, but they become your closest friends,” she said of the religious. “It was those sisters who I had in grammar, high school and college that were examples to me. They were the ones who made me want to be a nun, because they were always so happy.”

As for someone contemplating religious life, she said, “It won’t be easy, but it would be the love of your life. You’ll never regret it any day of your life.”

These days, Sister Shamus is recuperating from spinal stenosis, which she said came on following a bout of COVID-19. She resides at the McAuley Hall Health Care Center on the Mount St. Mary campus.

By Anthony Salamone, Correspondent