Celeste “Marie Celeste” Pagliarulo (1931-2026)

Sister Celeste returned to God on May 14, 2026, after 77 years of religious life.

Sister Celeste Pagliarulo, SNDdeN was born in Delano, California, in 1931 to John and Elena (Sabato) Pagliarulo. She became a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur on August 15, 1949, took her first vows on January 25, 1952, and final vows on August 15, 1957.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts and a standard teaching credential from the College of Notre Dame, and a Master of Arts degree in history in 1968 from the University of San Francisco. Sister Celeste worked as a teacher in California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii, and as a school principal in Portland, Oregon. She later served as a teacher and librarian at Moreland Notre Dame School in Watsonville, California.

Sister Celeste was published twice in the Southern California Quarterly and was recognized for her research and articles on the Carmel Mission and its curator, Harry Downie. Her research was important in the historical preservation of the Mission.

One of her favorite ministries was serving at the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Generalate in Rome, where she learned to navigate the Italian language and culture.

In recent years, she traveled to San Diego to serve those experiencing homelessness at Father Joe’s Villages, where she volunteered at the soup kitchen. She was also involved as a volunteer who taught English to immigrants from Afghanistan, Iran, Mexico and Vietnam, a ministry she found deeply inspiring.

Updated in 2026