Sister of Mercy Mary Angelo Lobato taught, served homeless

As a first-grader, Sister Mary Angelo Lobato knew she wanted to be a Sister of Mercy, influenced by her teacher, a member of the religious order.

From age 18, her 78 years of religious life included service as a teacher in Omaha, as well as advocacy for homeless and
Hispanic people in Colorado, New Mexico and California.

Sister Mary Angelo, known as Sister Angie, died June 26 in Omaha. She was 97.

Her community held a July 6 service, with a graveside service the following day at Resurrection Cemetery in Omaha. A memorial Mass will be celebrated later.

A native of San Isidro, Colorado, she entered the Sisters of Mercy in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1941 and made temporary vows in 1944 and perpetual vows in 1947.

Sister Mary Angelo graduated from College of Saint Mary in Omaha and taught at the former St. Peter School in Omaha from 1944 to 1949.

She also taught at several out-of-state schools before graduating from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., with a master’s degree in fine arts.

She went on to become an associate professor of art at College of Saint Mary and chairman of its art department, serving there from 1962 to 1971.

“But Sister Angie’s heart longed to be of service among the Hispanic/Mexican people,” the Sisters of Mercy said in a written tribute.

She returned to her native Colorado, where she coordinated a parish religious education program and established La Puente (The Bridge) Home, which provided temporary housing for people in crisis. That work earned her a Sisters of Mercy award in 1983 for promoting social equality.

In the late 1980s, Sister Mary Angelo became director of Catholic Charities in San Francisco and opened a home for families of AIDS victims.

She also served in New
Mexico, beginning in 2003, where she visited homebound parishioners with the Eucharist and was a volunteer driver for Catholic Charities.

Sister Mary Angelo was preceded in death by parents, Juan and Sabina (Madrid) Lobato; brothers William and Ernest; and sister Anita (Olivas) Lobato. Survivors include her sister Suzanne Kittredge, brother Jim Lobato, nieces, nephews, friends and the Sisters of Mercy.

Memorials can be directed to the Sisters of Mercy.