• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
School Sister of Notre Dame Mary Valeria Wagner died Aug. 20 at Villa Assumpta in Baltimore, at age 93.

Sister Valeria served Rodgers Forge school for more than four decades

September 25, 2017
By Catholic Review Staff
Filed Under: Local News, News, Obituaries

School Sister of Notre Dame Mary Valeria Wagner is fondly remembered at St. Pius X School in Rodgers Forge, where, from 1973 to 2014, she taught kindergarten, first grade and later ministered as a volunteer.

Sister Valeria died Aug. 20 at Villa Assumpta in Baltimore, at age 93.

An Emmitsburg native, she was taught by School Sisters of Notre Dame at St. Mary in Hagerstown, at its grade school and then its high school. In an obituary prepared by the School Sisters, Sister Valeria was quoted as recalling that “I was thoroughly convinced that this was the order for me.”

She would spend 71 years in the order.

After 11 years teaching second grade at St. Rita’s School in Brooklyn, N.Y., Sister Valiera returned to Baltimore, teaching at Corpus Christi School, 1957-66, and St. Ann School, 1966-73. She then joined the staff of St. Pius X School, where she was a fixture for 41 years.

The concelebrants at her Aug. 30 funeral Mass at Villa Assumpta included one of her former students, Monsignor Richard Hilgartner, the pastor of St. Joseph in Cockeysville.

The friends she made there include Lissa Ruppert, the school’s student services coordinator, who has been on its staff since 1994.

“Sister Valeria was a friend as well as a colleague,” Ruppert told the Review. “She had the most wonderful outlook on life and the world. I gave her haircuts when she lived at St. Pius and treasured the time we spent just talking.

“She was the most caring, gentle, happy person, and she is missed every day. I still almost stop every time I am near the Motherhouse, just to go in and get a hug and a smile. She was amazing to adults and children alike.”

Her ministry included working with the Girl Scouts and Brownies, attending CYO basketball games, and participating in skating and bowling at children’s birthday parties. An environmental pioneer, she was named Recycling Educator of the Year.

She also performed as a professional clown, “Waggs,” entertaining children and senior citizens.

While in Baltimore, Sister Valeria earned a master’s degree in reading from what is now Loyola University Maryland.

 

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Catholic Review Staff

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Chicago native Cardinal Prevost elected pope, takes name Leo XIV

  • Who was Pope Leo XIII, the father of social doctrine?

  • Full text of first public homily of Pope Leo XIV

  • Advocates of abuse victims are rooting for a Filipino pope — and it’s not Cardinal Tagle

  • Archbishop Lori surprised, heartened by selection of American pope

| Latest Local News |

Bankruptcy court judge gives victim-survivors temporary window to file civil suits

Radio Interview: Meet the Mount St. Mary’s graduate who served as a lector at papal funeral

At St. Mary’s School in Hagerstown, vision takes shape to save a school

Catholic school students ‘elect’ pope in their own ‘conclave’

Baltimore-area Catholics pray for new pope, express excitement for his leadership

| Latest World News |

Report: Catholic Church’s economic benefit to Minnesota is more than $5 billion annually

Catholic Charities tasked with Afrikaner refugees as Trump administration keeps others in limbo

Trump signs executive order demanding drug manufacturers lower U.S. prices

Who are the Augustinians, Pope Leo XIV’s order?

‘I felt heard’: Catholic school teacher recalls life-changing talk with future pope

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Report: Catholic Church’s economic benefit to Minnesota is more than $5 billion annually
  • Catholic Charities tasked with Afrikaner refugees as Trump administration keeps others in limbo
  • Trump signs executive order demanding drug manufacturers lower U.S. prices
  • Who are the Augustinians, Pope Leo XIV’s order?
  • ‘I felt heard’: Catholic school teacher recalls life-changing talk with future pope
  • ‘We look toward the new pontiff with Christian hope,’ says ecumenical patriarch
  • Bankruptcy court judge gives victim-survivors temporary window to file civil suits
  • New pope to celebrate three public Masses in May
  • Pope Leo’s motto, coat of arms pay homage to St. Augustine

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED