Obituaries

Sister Theresa Couture, SCIM

Please join in praying for the repose of the soul of Sister Theresa B. Couture, a Good Shepherd Sister of Quebec, who died at St. Joseph Convent in Biddeford on November 25, 2025. Sister Theresa was 93 years old.

Sister Theresa was born in Lewiston on November 9, 1932, to Romeo Couture and Blanche Poirier. She attended St. Peter School and St. Dominic High School in Lewiston, and following graduation, she entered the Roman Congregation of St. Dominic in Mortefontaine, France. She studied at L'Alliance Francaise in Paris, France, and then, after her profession, at Regina Mundi in Rome, Italy. She then returned to the United States.

In 1973, Sr. Theresa had a second religious calling and joined the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Saco, Maine, more commonly known as the Good Shepherd Sisters of Quebec. Her ministries included teaching, campus ministry, school administration, social work, gerontology, correctional education in a Maine prison, and adult education in Biddeford, from which she retired. She then became like a mother and grandmother to immigrant families. 

Visitation will be held on Friday, December 5, 2025, 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., at St. Joseph Convent, 409 Pool Road, Biddeford. A funeral Mass will celebrated at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Convent, 409 Pool Street in Biddeford. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery in Biddeford.

Father Raymond Morency

Please join in praying for the repose of the soul of Father Raymond P. Morency, a priest of the Diocese of Portland who died on November 25, 2025, at the age of 75.

Born in 1949 to Roger and Doris (Landry) Morency, Father Morency was a native of Lewiston. He attended Lewiston High School and then earned an associate's degree from the University of Maine and a bachelor’s degree from Thomas College in Waterville before serving in the U.S. Army for three years, which included deployment to Vietnam.

After the military, he served as personnel manager at Portland Stove Foundry and later with North Anson Reel Co. before entering St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 24, 1987, at Holy Cross Church in Lewiston by Bishop Edward C. O’Leary. 

Father Morency's pastoral assignments included St. André Parish in Biddeford, St. Augustine Parish in Augusta, Holy Rosary Parish in Caribou, and St. James the Great Parish in Baileyville.

In 1995, Father Morency accepted a commission to return to active duty as a U.S. Army chaplain for three years, serving in South Carolina.

After returning to the diocese, he served at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Oquossoc, St. Anne Parish in Dexter, St. Agnes Parish in Pittsfield, and the churches, which were then-parishes, that now comprise the Parish of the Precious Blood in Caribou.

He retired from active ministry on July 1, 2015.

Funeral Services

A reception of the Body with the Office of the Dead will be held on Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 4 p.m., followed by visitation from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Holy Family Church, 607 Sabattus Street in Lewiston. And again on Friday, December 12, from 9:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. when a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated.

Sister Kathleen Thornton, RSM

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sister Kathleen (Miriam Cecilia) Thornton, RSM, who died on November 12, 2025, at the age of 88.

Born in Worcester, Mass., she was the daughter of George and Agnes Morrison Thornton. After graduating from Keene High School in Keene, N.H., she entered the Sisters of Mercy in Portland in 1954.

Sister Kathleen received a Bachelor of Arts degree in higher education from Saint Joseph’s College in Standish and then pursued studies at Pius X School of Liturgical Music in New York City and at Boston University.

After several years of elementary school teaching, she became the music supervisor for parochial schools in Portland, South Portland, and Westbrook. Sister Kathleen also gave private piano lessons to children as well as adults. She always looked forward to singing in the Portland Symphony Orchestra Choir, especially during the Magic of Christmas performance.

Sister Kathleen was also a composer, most notably composing her Concerto in G Minor, a piano composition for a solo instrument. She also had an avid love for writing and a unique artistry in calligraphy and design. In addition to possessing three copyrights for musical works, she had one copyright for an original watercolor.

During her years in retirement, Sister Kathleen devoted her time to prayer and visitations, while living at Deering Pavilionfra, Frances Warde Convent, St. Joseph’s Convent in Biddeford, and Gorham House in Gorham.  

Funeral Services:

Prayer and Visitation; Thursday, November 20, 9:15 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 307 Congress Street in Portland

Mass of Christian Burial: Thursday, November 20, 10 a.m., at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 307 Congress Street in Portland.

Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in South Portland.

Sister Mary Jo Divney, APB

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sister Mary Jo Divney, APB, who died September 12, 2025, at the age of 82.

A graduate of Cathedral High School in Portland, she entered the Sister Adorers of the Precious Blood Monastery in Portland in August 1961. She professed her final vows in November 1964.

The monastery, located on State Street, was a cloistered contemplative community, where the sisters prayed for intentions, for people who had no one to pray for them, and for priests. Sister Mary Jo initiated the Apostolate of Prayer for Priests, a calendar of prayer prepared by the sisters that continues in the Diocese of Portland to this day. There were 40 dioceses that sent their priests names to the sisters to have calendars made for them.

Sister Mary Jo was the superior of the community for many years and was also an active board member of the Federation of America of Precious Blood and was president for several terms.

She loved to cook and could often be found in the kitchen baking new and old recipes. 

In October 2018, the monastery in Portland closed, and the sisters moved to the Precious Blood Monastery in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Father Philip Michael Tracy

Please join in praying for the soul of Father Philip Michael Tracy, a priest of the Diocese of Portland who died on September 1, 2025, at the age of 94..

Father Tracy was born in Portland on April 6, 1931, the third child of Patrick Joseph Tracy and Catherine Elizabeth Earles Tracy. He attended St. Dominic School in Portland, then Holy Cross School in South Portland. He graduated from Cheverus High School in 1949.

He then In 1952 he entered Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky of the Order of Cistercians of the Stricter Observance (Trappists) and was one of the founders of Our Lady of New Clairvaux Abbey in California. However, with permission, he left the monastery in 1967 and returned home to serve as a diocesan priest.

For the Diocese of Portland, Father Tracy served in parishes in Houlton, Saco, Portland, Presque Isle, Lyman, Calais, Sabattus, and South Berwick. He also spent seven years as Newman chaplain at Bates College in Lewiston. While serving in the above parishes and Bates College, he served also, for 20 years as director of the Apostolate to the Catholic Deaf Catholics of Maine.

He retired in 2001. In February of 2002 he began serving the Spanish-speaking Catholics of Portland, later expanding to include those of Lewiston, Bangor, and Milbridge.

Reception of the Body

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a reception of the body and Liturgy of the Hours on Wednesday, September 10, at 4 p.m.at Holy Cross Church, 124 Cottage Road, South Portland. Fr. Tracy will lie in state at the church until 7 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial

A concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Holy Cross Church with Bishop James Ruggieri as the principal celebrant. Rev. Philip A. Tracy will be the homilist. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery in South Portland.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home of South Portland. To view Fr. Tracy’s memorial page or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.com

In lieu of flowers, South Portland Food Cupboard, 130 Thadeus Street, South Portland, ME  04106