Sister Donatella Merulla, A.R., DRE
Sister Mary Attilia Todaro, A.R., DRE
At the beginning of the year 1990, the Sisters were assigned to Nativity Parish by the superior general of their order, Mother Antonella Gulino. This was at the request of then Nativity Pastor, Fr. Sal Ciullo, who stressed the great need the parish had for help in its religious education program.
Sister Donatella Merulla was appointed Nativity’s Minister of Religious Education. She had a degree in Elementary Education from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, in Ohio, where her order opened its first house in 1958. She was assisted by Sister Mary Wendy McMenamy, a native of Florida, who also had a degree in Elementary Education. Sister Mary Wendy left Nativity in 1991.
Sister Mary Attilia Todaro, who also received a degree in Elementary Education from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, joined Sister Donatella as Nativity’s Minister of Religious Education. In 2000, Sr. Donatella and Sr. Mary Attilia earned Master’s degrees in Education Leadership from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
Our program has been, and continues to be, so successful thanks to the Sisters’ continuous love, care, compassion, joy ,and dedication they give to our parish and to the children of our community.
Sister Donatella and Sister Mary Attilia belong to the religious order Handmaids of Reparation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Italy. Learn more about their religious order, and their work around the world, here.
