Sister Mary Magdalen of the Cross

Sister Mary Magdalen of the Cross, O.C.D., (Frances Regina Vannicola) a cherished and blessed cloistered Nun of the The Discalced Carmelite Monastery in Flemington NJ, died Monday, October 14, 2024 at the Hunterdon Medical Center after a brief illness.  

Born September 7, 1943, in Lebanon County PA, Sister Mary Magdalen was the daughter of the late Philip and Mary Magdalene (Scanlin) Vannicola.  She is survived by her two sisters, Mary Ann and Theresa, and her brother, Anthony.  

Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill in 1961. After making her profession of vows, she taught first grade until 1976, when she felt Our Lord’s call to become a discalced Carmelite nun. She entered the Monastery in Flemington, New Jersey, and celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 2001. During her more than 48 years in Carmel, she held many offices in the community, including the vestry, habit room, provisor in the kitchen, sacristy, and answering the “turn” (when visitors come to speak to the nuns). She was always ready to lend a helping hand and show warmth and compassion to others. Even the doctors and nurses were astounded by her warmth and joy in her last days at the hospital. Sister will be greatly missed and continues to be loved both inside and outside the cloister.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Mary Magdalen will be celebrated on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 11:00 am at the chapel of the Carmelite Monastery, 26 Harmony School Road, Flemington NJ 08822.  Interment will follow in the Carmelite Monastery Cemetery. Friends and family of the Carmelite Nuns may visit to express their condolences at the Monastery on Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 8:00 pm and on Thursday morning from 10:00 until Mass at 11:00 am.  

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main St., Flemington NJ 08822.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made the The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Flemington, 26 Harmony School Road, Flemington NJ 08822.  Online donations can be made at https://flemingtoncarmel.org/donate .

For further information or to leave an online condolence, please visit https://www.holcombefisher.com/obituaries/mary-vannicola .