Mary Faith Johnston (neé Quinn), seventy-five, died peacefully just before midnight on August 3rd, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

She is survived by her loving husband of forty-seven years, Cyrus Thurston Johnston III; their two sons, Daniel (Alexa) and Micah (Bethany) and step-daughter Anne (Gunder) Grimsrud; her nine grandchildren, Elise, Andreas, Elena, Isaac, Nathaniel, Levi, Ezra, Ben, and baby girl due November 2024; 5 sisters, Laraine (Larry), Anne (Saad), Ellen, Catherine, and Bernadette (Gary); Sisters-in-law Debra Vios-Quinn, and Sandra Noser; and dozens of nieces, nephews and Godchildren.

She was preceded in death by her father John Quinn, her mother Anna M. Quinn, and her brother, John Quinn.

Born Mary in Brooklyn, New York on March 29th, 1949, she grew up in the Bronx as the oldest of six children in an Irish Catholic Family. As a child, Mary was devoted to her younger siblings, excelled in school. She found peace in God's love.

Inspired by the lives of Christian missionaries such as Dr. Tom Dooley and St. Damien of Molokai, Mary entered the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary at the age of 17 and chose Faith as her name. She attended Annhurst College in Connecticut graduating Summa Cum Laude.

Strengthened by the love and support of her religious community, Faith lived in Jamaica for several years and found joy in humble service to the residents of a leprosarium. She continued to be a source of love and support for her family in New York.

To prepare for missionary work in Bangladesh, Faith was asked to attend nursing school in Memphis Tennessee. After ten years of religious life, God called Faith to something new.

Faith met Cyrus in their church choir in Memphis, Tennessee. After they were married, they followed the Spirit to Gallup, New Mexico to serve the Navajo community as foster parents.

This Spirit-filled journey would lead Faith and Cyrus to numerous stops, including Marrero, Louisiana, and Wetumpka, Alabama. They settled in Montgomery, Alabama where St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church and school became a home to Faith and Cyrus and a supportive and loving environment for their children. Faith was committed to the dignity of all God's children and led her family in prayer and action across Alabama and the country for the protection and care of the unborn and their parents, the poor, the imprisoned, the aging, and those afflicted by racism, violence, and war.

For over twenty years, Faith served as a teacher's aid at St. Bede School and continued her lifelong vocation of seeing and seeking those in most need of love. Whether teacher, student, or parent, if you were struggling, if you were grieving, if you were in need of friendship, or if you just needed a laugh, Faith found you.

After four years of living with cancer, Faith made the difficult decision, with Cyrus, to leave Alabama. She spent her last weeks in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she was closer to family. In a short time, she touched many lives at Holland Home and among the medical staff who cared for her.

With deep sadness, Mary Faith's family and many friends give thanks for her earthly life and the love she sowed in all of our lives.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts be made in her memory and in honor of her years of dedication to Catholic education to:

Montgomery Catholic St. Bede Campus Tuition Assistance:

MCPS, 5350 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, AL 36116

or

online at: montgomerycatholic.org/donate

A funeral mass will be held at St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church, 3870 Atlanta Hwy,

Montgomery, AL 36109, on Saturday, September 21st at 11:00am. Prior to the mass, a eulogy will be given at 10:50 am in the church. Friends are invited to join the family at a reception in St. Bede's Family Life Center immediately following the mass.

A graveside burial service will take place in Michigan at 10:00 am on Monday, October 21st at Holy Cross Cemetery, 2000 Walker Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

Friends are welcome to join family for a luncheon immediately following the burial at Vitale's Pizza, 834 Leonard St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503