Sister Maria Goretti Weldon began her journey as a Sister of Mercy 60 years ago.

“I followed a call from God that I discerned as a young person. I had married brothers and sisters, but felt God was calling me to be a Sister,” said Sister Maria Goretti.

Margaret Mary Weldon was born the eighth child of Arthur Patrick Weldon and Anna Theresa Came Weldon in Conshocken, Pennsylvania. When she was five years old, the family moved to Shelby, North Carolina. Because there was limited opportunity for Catholic education there, her oldest sister, Miriam, entered Sacred Heart Academy in Belmont, North Carolina to finish her high school studies.

Within five years Miriam entered the Sisters of Mercy at Belmont and took the name Sister Mary Gertrude. By the time she was in the eighth grade, Margaret also felt the stirrings of a calling to religious life. Even so, she completed high school and began working. In January 1951, while attending her godfather’s funeral, God’s call to her became crystal clear. She returned to her job, gave her two-weeks notice and arrived in Belmont on February 15. She took the name of Sister Maria Goretti at the time of her reception.

Throughout the years Sister Maria Goretti maintained an unshakeable belief that she was exactly where she was supposed to be. “I guess I always felt I was where God wanted me, doing what God would have me do, becoming who God created me to be,” she said.

Sister Maria Goretti earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Belmont Abbey College, did graduate studies at Manhattanville College and later studied scripture and spirituality in Rome, Italy, an education that served her well in the various capacities in which she has served, including:

“Being part of a group, a regional community, and the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and emulating the charism of Catherine McAuley in our world today is a remarkable opportunity. Speaking as a voice for women and those who are poor, strengthened by the number and wisdom of many, makes me appreciate my membership even more.”

Today Sister Maria Goretti serves as Director of Mission and Values for Sisters of Mercy Services Corporation in Asheville, North Carolina. Her duties include:

If one thing is certain for Sister Maria Goretti, it is the realization that living means changing. The life of a Sister 60 years ago was vastly different from the life of a Sister today.

“I loved what I embraced 60 years ago,” she said. “I expected that was the way it always was and always would be, but I have loved the changes too. We are all God's children, and I think God has a lot of surprises ahead for us."