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Stolz was born on February 1, 1923, in Elyria, OH to Mary B. (Dietz) and William J. Stolz. She had one brother, Rev. Joseph Stolz and four sisters, Florence, Anne, Cecilia and Margaret. Her parents and siblings have all predeceased her.
In 1941, Stolz graduated from Elyria High School and worked as a secretary at The National Society for Crippled Children and the Army Air Corp Depot in Elyria until 1943.
She then joined the U.S. Navy serving as a Wave from 1944-1946. After serving in the Navy, she returned home in Elyria where she worked as a secretary at G.A. Olsen Mfg. Co. until 1951. She was then employed as an assistant secretary at Northern Savings and Loan Co. until 1953.
Stolz entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate from St. Mary’s Parish, Elyria on September 2, 1953. At her Reception of the Habit she received the religious name, Sister Mary Philomena. She made her First Profession of Vows on September 8, 1956 at Valley Park, MO and her Final Vows six years later on the same date in Bolivia. She was then assigned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center where she worked in the travel and shipping department from 1956-1958.
In 1958, Stolz received her first overseas assignment to the Bolivia-Peru Region and studied the Spanish language in Bolivia. She was appointed Procurator for Bolivia from 1958-1966, and then served as secretary to the Maryknoll Fathers Regional Superior in Lima from 1967-1972.
From there she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center where she served as supportive services coordinator until May 1974. In September of that year, Stolz studied at Loyola University in Chicago and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 1977.
On October 1, 1977, Sister Mary was assigned to Venezuela where she served as a member of the Barcelona Pastoral Team until 1982. She then returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center and worked as accountant controller in the treasury department until 1987.
In 1987, she was assigned to Chicago where she taught mission education before moving to California in 1989 as a senior companion. Two years later Sister Mary was called back to the Maryknoll Sisters Center and served as the center administrator from 1991-1996. She then retired and did volunteer work in New Mexico as a bookkeeper at Fr. James B. Hay School and Pastoral Center.
In 1999, Stolz moved to the Maryknoll Sisters retirement home in California where she continued to do volunteer work and community service in a Senior Companion Program from 2004-2011. Due to failing health, she returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center.
A Wake and Vespers service will be held in the Annunciation Chapel of the Maryknoll Sisters Center at Ossining on Tuesday, April 11 at 4:15 P.M. Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 12 at 11:00 A.M. also in the Annunciation Chapel. Interment will follow immediately after in the Maryknoll Sisters Cemetery.
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