A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Beatrice Wise, D.C., was celebrated Feb. 28, 2015, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Md. Burial followed at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Emmitsburg. Sister Beatrice died Feb. 26 at 98 years of age at Villa St. Michael in Emmitsburg. She celebrated 78 years of vocation in November 2014.
Born Oct. 16, 1916, in St. Mary County, Md., Sister Beatrice (baptized Beatrice Louise) was one of five children born to Philip and Mary Ann (Gunning) Wise. Sister Beatrice was a 1936 graduate of Seton High School in Baltimore, Md. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies from St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg in 1959 and her Master of Arts degree in education from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1970.
Sister Beatrice entered the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Baltimore Nov. 24, 1936. After her initial formation, she began a long career in education: St. Vincent School in Detroit, Mich. (1937–1939); St. John Home in Utica, N.Y. (1939–1951); House of Providence in Syracuse, N.Y. (1951–1958); St. Ambrose School in Endicott, N.Y. (1958–1959); Holy Cross Regional School in Lynchburg, Va. (1959–1963); Our Lady of Lourdes School in Baltimore (1963–1966, during which time she also served as the local superior); Immaculate Conception Academy in Washington, D.C. (1966–1972, during which time she also served as the local superior); Portsmouth Catholic High School in Portsmouth, Va. (1972–1979); and Seton High School in Baltimore (1979–1988). Sister Beatrice then began to minister at St. Benedict Parish in Baltimore (1988–2007), where she served in parish ministry and evangelization. In 2007, Sister joined the Ministry of Prayer at Villa St. Michael in Emmitsburg, where she served until her death.
Sister Beatrice was preceded in death by her parents; her stepmother, Virginia (Duke) Wise; and her siblings. She is survived by her stepbrother, Fred Wise; her stepsister, Susan Wise Rabenau; her nephews Michael Fox, James Jackson and Chuck Jackson; and her Sisters in Community.