Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer Staff

Laura M. Arvin, OP
Director

Laura M. Arvin, OP, a Dominican Sister of Amityville, New York, serves as Director of Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer and is a member of Spiritual Directors International.  In addition to spiritual and retreat direction ministry, Sister Laura worked over 16 years as a higher education administrator at St. John's University in New York.  She has a special interest in St. Catherine of Siena and the writings of the mystics.

Eileen P. Smith, RSM
Co-Director

Eileen P. Smith, RSM, a Sister of Mercy of the Americas, serves as a Co-Director of Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer and is a member of Spiritual Directors International. She holds over 30 years of experience as a spiritual and retreat director. Sister Eileen has taught in secondary schools and ministered as a formation director for her religious community. She has also worked as a pastoral minister in a Hispanic parish in New Jersey as well as in Honduras, Central America where she ministered to children with HIV/AIDS. She is on the Board of Trustees of Mount Saint Mary Academy. She has a special concern for the empowerment of Hispanic immigrants.

Mary Jo Kearns, RSM
Co-Founder

Mary Jo Kearns, RSM, a Sister of Mercy of the Americas, is one of the founding sisters of this ministry and a co-director of Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer. In addition to more than 30 years of work as a spiritual director and retreat director, Sister Mary Jo taught elementary school and served as director of the Mercy Associates. Some of her special interests are in grief recovery, programs related to holistic development, and the administration of the House of Prayer's social media presence, including our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.

Joellen (Jody) Richdale

Administrative Assistant

Contact Joellen Richdale 908-753-2091

Adjunct Spiritual Directors

Brigitte Pincelli, Donna McCabe, Ed Reitter, Jim Choma