Sister M. Sylvia Giraldo, LSIC, age 76, died suddenly on Jan. 11, at Saint John Retreat House, Atlantic City.
Born Maria Edilma, in Cali, Colombia, where she earned a Master’s Degree and taught there, she entered the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception at their novitiate in Cherry Hill in 1976 and professed her perpetual vows in 1982.
“Sister Sylvia was an energetic, cheerful, diligent member who loved Jesus, Our Lady, the Spanish mystics, her religious community, and natural family, and was benevolent, embracing the poor, the sick, the unemployed,” the Little Sisters said when announcing her death.
Sister taught for two years at Saint Matthew School, National Park, served for a year at Saint Mary Catholic Home, Cherry Hill, and taught for six years at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Milltown, N.J., She was the religious education coordinator and pastoral worker at Holy Spirit Parish, Atlantic City, on mission in Mexico from 1991-92, and from 1999-2016 as religious education coordinator and pastoral worker at Our Lady, Star of the Sea Parish in Atlantic City, where she became known as the Mother Teresa of Atlantic City because of her charitable activities. She served for a term as local superior at Saint John Retreat House.
Sister is survived by members of her religious community, her siblings, Father Danilo Giraldo, Natanael Giraldo (married to Betty Giraldo) and sisters, Natalia Echeverry, Lucrecia Czigany, Edilia Campo, Edelia Padula (married to Silvio Padula), Cenelia Marquez and numerous nieces and nephews.
A funeral Mass was celebrated at the LSIC Provincialate, Cherry Hill. Interment followed at Saint Joseph’s Cemetery, Chews Landing.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Little Servant Sisters I.C., Provincialate, 1000 Cropwell Rd., Cherry Hill, NJ 08003.
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