Ninety-first Street has lost a beloved Religious of the Sacred Heart, Sister Angela Bayo, who passed away May 28 at the age of 97. At the time of her passing, Sr. Bayo was living at Teresian House, a nursing home in Albany, New York.

Sr. Bayo was cherished throughout the 91st Street community as an extraordinary educator, mentor, and leader. Serving first as Head of Lower School and then as the Lower School’s religious education consultant, she touched the lives of thousands of children and adults during her 46 years of service at 91st Street and beyond. She was renowned for her eloquence and elegance, her grace and her faith in God and love. She was, in the words of many former students, “part of what makes Sacred Heart, Sacred Heart.”

Sr. Bayo entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at Kenwood, Albany, making her first vows in 1951 and her final profession in 1956. As a young nun, she served at 91st Street only briefly before leaving for positions at other Sacred Heart schools, but she made a big impression on Mary Ranney, RSCJ, who was Head of Lower School at the time. In 1967, when Mother Ranney was called to become the Superior of the Sacred Heart community at 91st Street, she immediately thought of Sr. Bayo as her replacement.

As Head of Lower School, Sr. Bayo had multiple responsibilities, including overseeing the curriculum, managing teachers and their training, and organizing events. Her favorite part of her job, however, was the time she spent with 91st Street’s pre-kindergarten through fourth grade students. She relished their openness and joy in life. “If you treat little children with love and respect,” she said, “and help them understand that you’re there for them rain or shine, they’re happy.”

In 1996, Sr. Bayo retired, only to return one year later as a consultant for religious education in the Lower School and to prepare second graders for their First Holy Communion, a sacrament she believed was integral to one's relationship with God. While students may not have understood all of the theological implications of the Eucharist, they understood Sr. Bayo, her love for them and for God. 

Love was at the core of Sr. Bayo’s being, and her love was a powerful force. In 2013, when Sr. Bayo retired for a second time, then Head of Lower School Mrs. Pat Hult said, “One of the greatest joys of my time at 91st Street is that I was loved by Sr. Bayo.” Thousands of members of the 91st Street community could say the same.

Saint Madeleine Sophie said that she would have founded the Society of the Sacred Heart for the sake of one child. Former Head of School Nancy Salisbury, RSCJ, who passed away in 2004, once said that when a child first walks through the doors of 91st Street, “this vision of St. Madeleine Sophie becomes a reality as Sr. Bayo looks into her eyes on the first day of school… she knows that in Sr. Bayo’s heart, she will always be that one special child. What greater gift could be given!”

Funeral Arrangements and Services are as follows: 

Saturday, June 8

The Mass of the Resurrection for Sr. Bayo will be on Saturday, June 8 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Madeleine Sophie Catholic Church in Schenectady, NY. To access the St. Madeleine Sophie livestream for the funeral, click any of the links below.

• Parish Website - https://smssgabparish.org (scroll down on the homepage to the livestream box)
• Facebook - https://m.facebook.com/SMSandSGA/ 
• YouTube - https://youtube.com/@churchofsmsandsga788?si=rHZRVChzpWFvKbMi

Friday, October 18

Ninety-first Street will host a memorial service and reception honoring Sr. Bayo on the afternoon of Friday, October 18. Details to follow. 

Memorial Gifts

Memorial contributions may be made in Sr. Bayo’s memory to:

• Convent of the Sacred Heart, 91st Street - online at www.cshnyc.org/giving/give-online (note Angela Bayo, RSCJ Endowment Fund in the comments) or mailed to Advancement Office, 1 East 91st Street, New York, NY 10128)
• Society of the Sacred Heart - online at rscj.org/donate or mailed to P.O. Box 958047, St. Louis, MO 63195-8047