Sister Grace Calvisi

Sister Grace Calvisi, Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul

Sister Grace (Ruby Grace) Calvisi, age 92, died at Villa St. Michael in Emmitsburg, Maryland on July 17, 2025. She was born on January 10, 1933, in Washington, D.C. to Emelia (Evangelista) and Frank Calvisi, the oldest of three daughters of Italian immigrants. She graduated from Immaculate Conception Academy in Washington, DC in 1951. On December 30, 1951, Sister Grace entered the Daughters of Charity in Emmitsburg, Maryland from St. Gabriel’s Parish in Washington, D. C. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg in 1962 and her Master of Education, majoring in Special Education from Hunter College (University) in New York, New York in 1965.

Following initial formation, Sister Grace was missioned to serve as an elementary teacher at St. Mary’s School in Troy, New York and at Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg. In 1961, Sister Grace was sent to Kennedy Child Study Center in New York, New York, serving as a Special Education teacher. From there, she was missioned to St. Vincent’s Infant Home in Timonium, Maryland as Educational Program Director (1964-1970) and then to Seton Center in Emmitsburg as Program Director (1970-1972) and Administrator (1972-1980). From 1980 to 1986, Sister Grace returned to Timonium to serve at St. Vincent’s, now named St. Vincent’s Child Care Center, as Administrator and later as Director of Development and Community Relations from 1986 to 1988. During the years 1980 to 1983, Sister Grace also served as the Social Ministry Councillor of the Emmitsburg Province. Years prior, Sister Grace had heeded a call to learn Spanish so that she could serve in parishes. She was able to use this gift and love of the Hispanic people in her next three assignments, working as a Pastoral associate in Hispanic ministry at St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Wheaton, Maryland (1988-1999), St. Joseph Parish in Martinsburg, West Virginia (1999-2006) and at St. Peter Claver Parish in Macon, Georgia (2006-2019). In 2019, Sister Grace was missioned to Villa St. Michael for the Ministry of Prayer, a ministry she held until her death.

Sister Grace was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Vera Ganassa and Frances Santi; and nephews, Stephen and Michael Ganassa. She is survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and her Sisters in Community.

A wake service will be held on Monday, July 21 in the Villa Chapel in Emmitsburg at 4:00 pm. The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 am on Tuesday, July 22 in the Basilica of the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. Burial will follow in the Sacred Heart Cemetery on the grounds.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Sister Grace’s name to the Daughters of Charity, 4330 Olive Street, Saint Louis, Missouri 63108.