Sister Mary Pia Benavidez

Sister Mary Pia Benavidez of the Holy Wounds of Jesus, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Christ the Light (School Sisters of St. Francis), died Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at the age of 71.

The Rosary will be prayed for Sister at 5:00 PM on Sunday, December 8, in Our Lady of the Angels Chapel at Sancta Maria Convent in Panhandle. Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on Monday, December 9, in Our Lady of the Angels, Panhandle with Bishop Patrick J. Zurek and Father Hrudaya Raju Kondamudi, as celebrants. Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home, 4100 S. Georgia, in Amarillo, and burial will be in Panhandle Cemetery.

Sister Mary Pia was born Yvonne Josephine Benavidez on August 22, 1953, in Rock Springs, Wyoming. She was born to Benjamin and Josephine Benavidez and preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Benny Benavidez and Robert Ulibarri. Sister Mary Pia is survived by her sister, Liz Ulibarri, a nephew, Joseph Ulibarri, and a cousin, Esther Benavidez

She entered the Congregation of the School Sisters of St. Francis in Panhandle, TX, on September 7, 1973. Yvonne received the name of Sister Mary Pia, after St. Padre Pio, when she became a novice. Sister made her first vows in 1976, final vows in 1981, and celebrated her 25th Jubilee on July 2, 2001.

Sister Mary Pia graduated from Rio Grande High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She had a rich and diverse background in her education and experience. Certification from the Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute in Cashier Sales set the course for her amazing people skills and hands-on, dependable work ethic. Attending Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas, for English courses, Amarillo College for Child Care Education, Catholic Distance University for the Theology of the Sacraments, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. She earned a Basic Skills Certification in Religious Education and Faith Formation through the Diocese of Amarillo and a Catechetical Certificate in Formation at the intermediate level.

Sister had practical experience as a nurse’s aide in working with mentally and physically handicapped children. She loved being a part of the community’s mission of the Christian education of youth as a teacher’s aide at St. John’s in Borger, St. Anthony’s in Dalhart, and St. Joseph’s in Amarillo. She was also a part of the Sisters’ apostolate at St. Ann’s Nursing Home and the Catholic Children's Home, both in Panhandle. She used her amazing storytelling talent and the love of her faith in countless Faith Formation programs, Vacation Bible Schools, and community gatherings. 

A cervical spine injury in 2013 left Sister Mary Pia with partial paralysis and limited physical abilities. Professionals who said she would never walk again were surprised when she adapted, through excellent care at Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation in Dallas and sheer grit, to a wheelchair and then to a walker. Upon returning home to Panhandle, Sister continued her religious life faithfully and cheerfully. 

She was a proud member of the ACTS community in Amarillo and a member of the Legion of Mary.

Memorials honoring Sister Mary Pia may be sent to the “Bearers of the Light” Building Campaign at Sancta Maria Convent. Sancta Maria Convent PO Box 906 Panhandle, Texas 79068