Obituary: Mary Judith Seman SCN, 98
Sister Mary Judith Seman SCN, 98, died Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Nazareth. She spent more than 80 years devoted to religious life.
Born Dorothy Bernardine Seman on Aug. 16, 1926, in Cleveland, she was the ninth of 10 children of Slovak immigrants John George Seman and Eva Bucko. Her father served as a maintenance man at St. Ladislas Church where she was baptized. The family’s deep faith and connection to the Vincentian Sisters of Charity at their parish school nurtured her vocation.
In 1941, she entered Vincentian Academy in Pittsburgh as an aspirant and joined the Vincentian Sisters of Charity in 1944. She professed her perpetual vows on Aug. 8, 1952. The Vincentian Sisters later merged with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in 2008.
She began her ministry as an elementary school teacher in Pennsylvania, serving in McKeesport, Ellsworth, Uniontown, Braddock, and Pittsburgh. She embraced innovative educational methods, including the non-graded system and early childhood programs. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Education from Duquesne University in 1957 and a master’s degree in Reading Supervision from Cardinal Stritch University in 1964.
Her leadership roles included serving as educational consultant, councillor, and retirement coordinator at the Motherhouse in Pittsburgh. In 1979, she entered a new leadership role as General Superior for the Vincentian Sisters of Charity. During her tenure, she oversaw the expansion of the community cemetery, the establishment of St. Vincent Hall, and the implementation of an early childhood program at the VSC Motherhouse.
In 1987, she began a new ministry as parish social minister at St. Thomas Becket Church in Jefferson Hills, Penn., a role she held until her retirement in 2016. In October of 2020, she moved to Carrico Hall on the Nazareth Motherhouse Campus.
She was known for her joyful spirit and dedication to the sick, elderly, and those in need. She lived her life positively, finding joy in everyday moments and setting an example for her fellow Sisters.
She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings. She is survived by her extended family and her religious community, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
The wake is 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Nazareth.
The Funeral Mass is 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 12, 2025, at St. Vincent de Paul Church with burial in Nazareth Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to the SCN Office of Mission Advancement, PO Box 9, Nazareth, KY 40048.
The Houghlin-Greenwell Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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