In the quiet, welcoming kitchen of St. Jerome Child Center in Hyattsville, Maryland, Sister Geraldine McPhee – known to many as Sister Geri – reflected on a life devoted to service and faith. Outside, the cold, overcast weather only heightened the warmth of the scene within, where she sat with Denise Key, a former student and now the Director of Counseling and Student Support at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland. Key had stopped by to say hello while some of her students volunteered at the St. Jerome Child Center.
Sister Geri, a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, served as the founding director of the St. Jerome Child Center when it opened in 1985 and continued to lead that ministry for 30 years until her retirement in 2015. She earlier taught at St. Jerome School, beginning in 1970.
“She taught my whole family,” Key said fondly, recalling Sister Geri’s quick wit, generous spirit, and her loving strictness that needed no words. “She didn’t need to raise her voice; one look was enough.”
After a warm goodbye from her former student, Sister Geri reflected on her 60-year journey in religious life – a path defined by a deep calling, unwavering dedication, and many lives touched along the way.
In a profile of Sister Geri on a website of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, she reflected on her longtime service at the director of the St. Jerome Child Center, saying, “Each day, I was blessed to welcome 70 babies, from six weeks to four years of age, into a loving, caring environment. Right now, there are children here whose parents attended the center as babies and grandchildren of my first graders from the ’70s.”
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur – a religious order founded in 1804 in France by St. Julie Billiart – emphasize a belief in “the goodness of God,” Sister Geri said, noting that principle has guided their work in education, pastoral ministries, and social services worldwide.
Sister Geri’s journey to religious life began at Notre Dame High School in Moylan, Pennsylvania, where she was inspired by her English teacher, Sister Francis Joseph, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur who played a significant role in shaping her understanding of faith and vocation. Sister Francis Joseph began every class with a hymn dedicated to St. Julie, who was known as the “child apostle of Cuvilly” because as a youngster, the future saint liked to teach the faith to her classmates in their French village.
“I just remember thinking that was really neat, that a child could be an apostle,” Sister Geri recalls. That became a lasting inspiration in her life, especially as Sister Geri navigated the emotional difficulties of losing her father when she was 16. “Sister Francis Joseph would uplift and sustain me through that difficult time,” she said, fondly remembering the support she received.
This spirituality profoundly shaped Sister Geri’s journey into religious life, even as she navigated a serious romantic relationship. Torn between two paths, she ultimately chose the convent, driven by a need to explore her calling. “In my day, marriage was permanent, but the convent had a trial period,” she said with a chuckle. “I thought, if I don’t do this, I’ll never know.”
She entered the congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1964 in Ilchester, Maryland.
Her decision was not without its challenges, particularly for her family. When Sister Geri entered the Julie Billiart House of Studies in Washington, D.C., in 1967 – now the Billiart Center at Trinity Washington University – the convent adhered to strict cloister-like rules. Her mother, Florence, was initially adamantly opposed. “She didn't accept it until my final vows, 13 years later,” Sister Geri said. "But by then, she had become one of my greatest supporters.”
The changes brought about by Vatican II soon eased some of the convent’s stricter practices. Still, Sister Geri credits the sisters in her community with nurturing her faith and commitment through it all. “They were all ages, all experiences,” she recalled. “They were God’s gift, forming me and keeping me on the path.”
Reflecting on her six decades of religious life, Sister Geri described it as a journey of continuous growth and transformation. The youthful zeal that first inspired her calling gradually deepened into a richer understanding of what it meant to live her vocation. “The reasons you enter when you’re younger, they mature,” she said.
Her dedication has been evident in a lifetime of teaching and her instrumental role in founding the St. Jerome Child Center, a ministry she remains actively involved in today.
Msgr. Joseph Ranieri, a former pastor at St. Jerome Parish, also significantly shaped her spiritual growth. “He is a very holy man, and a wonderful person,” she said. His influence remains a source of inspiration to her, alongside the steadfast support of her community of sisters. “I have lived here 54 years, and my community of sisters here were absolutely God’s gift,” Sister Geri said. “They have helped to form and sustain me in my vocation.”
Through these relationships and experiences, Sister Geri said she has come to understand that religious life is not an escape from the world but a commitment to living the Gospel through daily actions and service. “It’s about bringing God’s love into everything you do,” she said.
For Sister Geri, this has meant teaching and guiding children, and offering support to others through her ministry. Before leading the St. Jerome Child Center, she taught at St. Jerome School in Hyattsville and at St. Francis Xavier School and the now-closed St. Martin of Tours School, both in Washington, D.C. She continues to volunteer at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Academy in Washington.
Her prayer life, too, has evolved over the years. Initially, it was highly structured, with a set schedule that included daily meditation, Mass, and other prayers. “The reason for our rule of silence was because you are always in the presence of God,” she said. However, as the years passed and the number of sisters in her community lessened, her prayer life became more personal, shaped by the needs of her ministry and the changes in the world around her. “Your prayer life becomes the path that you create,” she said, noting the importance of making room for prayer in the busyness of life.
Having worked with young people for decades, Sister Geri is deeply attuned to the challenges they face in today’s age of constant noise and distraction, particularly the impact of technology on relationships and spirituality. Whether teaching or mentoring, she often challenges students to put down their phones and engage more fully with the world around them. “You’re losing a lot because you’re not communicating,” she tells the young people she works with. “You need to communicate. You need to look at each other.”
Sister Geri encourages young people to embrace silence, which she sees as a rare and invaluable tool for self-reflection and inner peace. “Silence is just unbelievable,” she said, emphasizing how quiet moments can counterbalance the overwhelming noise of modern life.
Her advice also extends to parents, underscoring the importance of taking quiet moments for themselves. “When you find yourself reaching the end of your rope, you need to withdraw yourself first,” Sister Geri said. She believes parents must prioritize their mental and emotional well-being to care effectively for their children.
Sister Geri’s decades of experience have shaped her belief in the importance of nurturing relationships, particularly with children, and her stories radiated joy as she reflected on a life filled with meaningful moments – teaching first graders, leading service clubs, organizing trips to Europe and the Outer Banks, and sharing the profound lessons of faith she has lived and cherished.
She recalled a story from her teaching days when a young girl with an amputated leg lost her prosthetic while playing with classmates. “Without hesitation, the other children helped her put it back on. In that moment, those children learned what it truly means to help one another,” Sister Geri said.
For Sister Geri, teaching and living out the Gospel are inseparable. She remembers working with junior high students who questioned the existence of God. Her response was simple yet deeply rooted in faith: “I have no proof to give you, but I can tell you that a man named Jesus Christ walked this Earth 2,000 years ago, and when he left, his message never did.”
When reflecting on her path to religious life, Sister Geri acknowledged that her journey was deeply shaped by grief and loss. "When I entered, my godfather told me, 'I hope you’re not looking for your father.’ He was right – I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was lost in mourning. Yet God works through everything, and my vocation grew into something much deeper,” she said.
This depth of understanding informs the advice she offers to women discerning religious life. “Do your research, and ask yourself, ‘What is God asking of me today?’” she said. “Religious life isn’t an escape from the world; it’s a calling that evolves and grows with you.”
Throughout her life, certain Scripture passages have remained touchstones for Sister Geri. She treasures the image of the Good Shepherd, who calls his sheep by a unique whistle that only they recognize. “That’s how we're called,” she explained, “no matter our faith or tradition.”
As the afternoon light dimmed in her kitchen, surrounded by memories of a life well-lived, Sister Geri reflected on the motto of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur: “How good is the good God.” For her, it’s more than a phrase – it’s a way of life. “Faith is the message of love – love God, love one another,” she said with conviction. “That’s the path, and that’s enough.”
For Sister Geri, it has been more than enough. It has been everything.
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