Sr. Mary Faith Bell, IHM, 82, died Sunday, April 21, at IHM Senior Living Center under hospice care in Monroe.

Sister Mary Faith, as she was known, was born in Detroit on March 18, 1937, to Lafayette and Mary (Manning) Bell. She attended Holy Rosary and St. Gregory Grade Schools (Detroit) and St. Gregory and Girls’ Catholic Central High Schools (Detroit). Upon graduation from Girls’ Catholic Central in 1955, she entered the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe and received the religious name, Sister Marie Faith.

Sister Mary Faith earned a bachelor’s degree at Marygrove College and entered elementary level teaching ministry at St. Charles and St. Boniface, Detroit; St. Mary, Marshall; and St. Mary, Wayne. In 1972, she earned a master’s degree in education from Wayne State University, Detroit. After 10 years in general education, Sister Mary Faith committed to all aspects of religious education: teacher, coordinator, parish, director and administrator. In these capacities, she served at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish and Education Center, Ann Arbor; St. Joseph, Erie; St. Patrick, Carleton; and Epiphany, Detroit.

In the mid-1980s, she returned to teaching at St. David School and St. Ambrose Academy, Detroit; St. Benedict School, Ferndale and Highland Park, and St. Mary School, Royal Oak. During this time, she resided in Ferndale before moving to Norman Towers, Monroe, in 2003.

In later years, Sister Mary Faith served her community as caretaker and hospitality staff at Visitation House of Prayer, Monroe. She transitioned into various volunteer ministries before retiring to the Motherhouse in 2008. When her health declined in 2012, she moved into the health care center.

Sister Mary Faith is survived by brothers, Kenneth Barker, William Barker, Michael Barker and John Bell; sister Margaret Glomski, cousins, nieces and nephews and her sisters in community. She was preceded in death by sister Ann Bell, and brothers, Theodore Bell and Raymond Barker. 

Visitation will be held at the IHM Motherhouse, 610 W. Elm Avenue, Monroe, on Thursday, April 25, beginning at 9 a.m. A Remembering and Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10 a.m. Burial will take place in St. Mary Cemetery on the IHM Campus. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Rupp Funeral Home, Monroe. Memorials may be made to the IHM Retirement Fund, 610 W. Elm Ave., Monroe, MI 48162-7909.