CHARLESTON — Our Lady of Mercy Sisters Marie Amelia Ferillo and Carmelita Boyd celebrated 110 years of ministry recently.
Sister Ferillo has been a religious for 60 years and Sister Boyd for 50.
Sister Ferillo was born July 22, 1925, in Charleston. She is a graduate of Bishop England High School. She received a B.A. in Spanish from Notre Dame in Baltimore, Md. and a B.A. in philosophy from Catholic University. She also received a certification in religious studies from St. Charles Borromeo. She entered the OLM community May 31, 1943, professing her vows in 1949.
Sister Ferillo taught in elementary schools in Charleston, Aiken and Greenville from 1945 to 1952. From 1952 to 1954 she did catechetical work in New Jersey. She taught at BEHS from 1957 to 1988.
Since 1988 Sister Ferillo has worked in Hispanic ministry at Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach.
Sister Boyd is a native of Ottawa in the province of Ontario, Canada. She was born Sept. 11, 1935. She is a graduate of Seton Hall with a B.A. in elementary education and holds an M.A. in the same subject from Winthrop University. She received her teaching certification in South Carolina.
Sister Boyd taught at elementary schools in Charleston, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Sumter, and New Jersey.
She was principal at St. Anne School in Sumter and the Cathedral School in Charleston.
Sister Boyd has also served as pastoral assistant from 1990 to 1991 at St. Joseph Church in Charleston, from 1991-92 at Divine Savior in York, and from 1993 to the present at St. Mary Magdalene in Simpsonville.
She entered the OLM community on Aug. 15, 1953, and professed her vows in 1958.
Bishop Robert J. Baker celebrated Mass for the nuns at the OLM motherhouse June 24. Visiting Archbishop Anthony Obinna of Nigeria concelebrated as did Oratorian Father John Giuliani and Father Greg Wilson.
The sisters celebrated the special event with their community and their families and friends.