Sister Mary Florence Burns, CSJ

Good Morning, and a warm welcome to everyone gathered in this sacred space of Maria Regina Chapel and to those who pray with us via livestream, especially the countless alumni and co-workers from St. Joseph’s University who live across the country.

We come together as a faith community to celebrate and give thanks to our gracious God for the beautiful and grace-filled life of Sister Mary  Florence Burns, formerly Sister Florence Marie, a Sister of St. Joseph for 78 years.  Florence celebrated her 100^th birthday with joyful simplicity in her treasured St. Joseph College Convent Chapel in April of this year!  Father Tom Ahern celebrated Mass on that auspicious occasion and we’re blessed to welcome him today.  His  claim to fame is that he was one of Florence’s prize students ~ that’s one of thousands!

Family was a vital and life-giving anchor in Florence’s life and it is with deep gratitude that we welcome her dear nieces Mary Jo and Ellen,             her nephew, Stephen, and all those family members joining us from afar.  She loved you beyond measure.

This chapel and the airwaves are filled with a multitude of companions, co-workers, and former students of Florence ~ she valued each of you and treasured the relationships that brought her great fulfillment and joy over the years.

2.For 75 years Florence called St. Joseph College Convent home ~ a welcoming, prayerful community that nurtured the goodness and well being of each sister ~ many of whom share in today’s remembrance.

Florence would want special words of gratitude expressed to Elizabeth Hill, Betty Mullane, and Patti Dittmer for their undaunting love and faithful companionship.    Gratitude also to the wonderful, caring staff of St. Joseph Convent here in Brentwood for their ministry of care/ given so tenderly during these past weeks.
Without a doubt anyone who knew Florence knows that her heavenly welcome includes Sister George Aquin and Sister Virginia Therese ~ the mighty trio who along with the passionate and dedicated work of many laid the foundation for St. Joseph University’s legacy of greatness.

Brooklyn has always had a special place in Florence’s life and ministry.  Florence and her brother Stephen were the proud children of John  and Florence Burns who nurtured them in an active love of their faith, the power and value of a full, rounded Catholic education and the gift of family love and support.

After graduating from St. Francis Xavier Academy Florence  earned a BA in English from St. Joseph College and an MA in English from St. John’s University, Brooklyn.

Drawn to the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph, faithfully personified in all those she encountered as outstanding teachers in the service of the Church, Florence entered the community in 1947.  Her stellar and extraordinary pathway in the world of education began with her first assignment as a teacher of 6^th Graders at St. Michael’s School, Brooklyn ~ can you imagine the caliber of their homework assignments!

The wisdom of God’s plan for Florence unfolded one year later in an unexpected call for Florence to teach English in her beloved St. Joseph College ~ and the rest is history adorned with a variety of hats over the next seven decades.  And it’s not to be forgotten that Florence earned a Ph.D from Columbia as she embarked on her St. Joseph College career.

Florence served as a professor of English for 27 years adding Academic Dean to her name and eventually moving into the role of Vice President of Academic Affairs, and ultimately as Assistant to the President ~ a truly brilliant, outstanding career of ministry that helped to broaden and enrich the minds and hearts of countless students/ well prepared to add value and voice to our world hungering for the transformative message of the Gospel.

Florence’s idea of retirement was to move into a volunteer position at the College (of course!) where she worked tirelessly and happily/ connecting to proud SJC alum from across the world ~ a role that continued until her death.

Always characterized by her kindness and empathy, Florence fostered a love of learning and a belief in each person’s potential for students and staff alike ~ always holding the bar high with possibilities ~ You could count on her honesty and integrity ~ spoken with wisdom, clarity and love.

And now we are blessed to have Sister Elizabeth Hill, Florence’s dear friend and confidant to share a personal reflection.

 

Elizabeth’s Reflection

” I have loved you with everlasting love, therefore I have drawn you.”

Those words from the Prophet Isaiah pierced the heart and mind of a very young Florence Burns many years ago. She heard them in the depths of her being and they formed the person she came to be.  Florence really believed in a loving God who was calling her and sustaining her, but not just herself, but everyone.

A few months ago I was talking with her about the future, and she said that, as she moved closer to death, her image of God was changing.  When I asked her what God looked like to her now, she laughed and said it was a little fuzzy but clearly God’s arms were open wide, and everyone was cradled in them.

That quote and that image capture the woman whom we all love and gather to celebrate today, and they do much to explain how and why Florence had such a profound influence on so many people over so many years.  Steeped in the conviction of God’s love for her, Florence was able to show that love and share it liberally.  She knew it was freely given, and so she freely shared it.

First and foremost, Florence loved her family, especially her dear brother Steve, her sister-in-law Helen, her nieces Mary Jo and Ellen and her nephew Steven, and their children, and their children’s children!  We all heard stories of your successes and triumphs through the years, and I assure you that she was very proud of all of you!

Florence also loved the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph.  A Sister of St. Joseph for almost 78 years,

Florence lived the charism of the Congregation every day in her work at St. Joseph’s College, which she also loved and where she served as Professor, Dean, and Academic Vice President, and where she left an indelible imprint.  Her brilliance as a teacher can be attested to by countless alumni who remember her wide-ranging knowledge of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, Milton, and pretty much every major author in the Western Canon.  Thanks to her, many of us can still recite the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales from memory…in Olde English!

As Dean and Vice President, she played a key role in the rescue and revival of the College in the 1970’s and 80’s.  Together with Sister George Aquin and Sister Virginia Therese she helped to introduce new programs, admit men, create the School of Adult and Professional Education, and develop a branch campus in Patchogue.  Without their vision and incredibly hard work St. Joseph’s College, now University, simply would not exist today.  It was not without cost to them, of course, and I remember one night she came over from her office and exclaimed: “I am trying desperately to relax!”  With a little hesitation, I said I didn’t think that approach was going to work too well…so she wheeled around and went back to work!

Through the years Florence influenced more people than she could ever imagine.  When I was travelling across the country visiting alumni the one person who was asked for constantly was, yes, Sister Mary Florence.  Even to this day, when I would come home from a meeting I would tell her that several people asked about her and she never believed me.  She had no idea how much she meant to many sisters, faculty, and former students.  Those of you who were ever at a meeting with her, however, know that when Florence raised her hand to speak on a topic, the room would become hushed…EF Hutton was about to share wisdom…and she never failed us.  Her keen intelligence, coupled with insight and a compassionate heart, enabled her to see and speak the truth convincingly and compellingly.

Florence had many friends, many of whom are here today, so many that I dare not name any lest I inadvertently omit someone.  But I do have to say that she had a number of men friends about whom we loved to tease her.  She continued to accumulate them well into her 90’s…there were at least two Toms, a Mike, two Johns, a Sidney, and a Pat…and those are the ones we know about.  When we would tease her, she would just smile and not say a word…but she loved it, and she loved them!   Florence also always remembered with deep gratitude Fr. Martin Hanneberry, SJ, who was her spiritual director for many years.  He gave her an abiding love for Ignatian spirituality that formed and shaped her life, and she specifically asked that I mention him today.  To be honest, I think Florence was really a Jesuit in disguise.

Although it might seem that Florence never went very far, since she spent 75 years at St. Joseph’s University in Brooklyn, the truth is that she travelled far and wide, both through actual trips to England, France, Scotland, Spain, Sicily. and other places, and through reading on a wide variety of topics.  She loved literature, of course, but also had a deep interest in history, especially the Second World War, and she was always, always, up to date on current affairs.  Until very recently, she would come to the dinner table with a little post-it-note on which she had jotted down some topics from the day’s news, and she would be eager to discuss them.

Ever curious, always open to new ideas, and supportive of good change, Florence cared deeply about what was happening in the world, the country, the Congregation, St. Joseph’s University, her family, and her many friends.  Her love and concern drove her to spend much time praying for all of the above.  She had a long, tattered piece of paper on which she had written the names of everyone for whom she prayed…I am sure everyone here is on it…and she prayed for each of us every day, by name.

If I had to find one word to describe Sister Mary Florence Burns it would be joyful…she was a happy person…but then I must add gracious, and grateful.  If I had a penny for every time she said thank you, I would be a very rich woman…she was always saying thank you!  I know she would want me to say some special thank yous today…to Sister Pat and Sister Betty who were always so loving and attentive to her every need and wish; to her loyal and loving aide, LaKeisha, who took such good care of her for almost three years; to Mike McGrann, who would take her to appointments and for walks and kept her going even when she wanted to stop; and Father Tom, whose companionship she treasured.

It is now time to say our last goodbye to this amazing woman, to thank her for her life lived in love and with love for all she met, and to ask God to welcome her to her new home, where she may have peace and joy and happiness for endless days.
It seems appropriate to end with a quote adapted from her good friend Will Shakespeare…”Farewell dear Florence…may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

 

Without a doubt Elizabeth, Florence embraces you with gratitude and love, not only for your beautiful words but for your lifelong companionship and fidelity.

Sister Mary Florence Burns, CSJ, the former Sister Florence Marie, died on July 23, 2025 in the 78th year of her religious life.