A Mass for Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Mary Grafe was celebrated Jan. 8 in the motherhouse chapel. Sister Mary, 83, died Jan. 1 at Mercy West Hospital. She was a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 65 years.

A Cincinnati native, Sister Mary earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the College of Mount St. Joseph. In the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, she taught at St. Anthony, Holy Cross in Mt. Adams and with the Dominican Sisters of the Sick Poor in Over-the-Rhine. In 1976, Sister Mary began a new career in pastoral ministry as an outreach worker for Resurrection Parish in Dayton where she remained until 1982. She went on to co-found Bethany House for homeless families, and worked as a jail chaplain at the Juvenile Detention Center and as an outreach coordinator. In retirement, she volunteered at St. Francis Seraph Parish and making Hospice visits to nursing homes.

Sister Mary is survived by her sisters, Margy Schoenung and Shirley Lonneman. Interment was in the Sisters of Charity Cemetery.