A Global Family
Angela Marie Mazzeo CSFN ’06 MBA is the Superior General of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in Rome, Italy. In her position, she is responsible for an international congregation that spans 140 communities in 14 countries on five continents.
Sr. Angela Marie did not seem destined for a role more than 4,000 miles from her Philadelphia roots. Born in Nazareth Hospital in 1966, she grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and received her bachelor’s degree from Temple University School of Pharmacy. Remaining in Philadelphia, she entered the novitiate of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and made First Vows, after which she returned to Nazareth Hospital and began working as a staff pharmacist. Within a year she was promoted to Pharmacy Supervisor, and ultimately held the title of Director of Pharmacy.
During her time at Nazareth Hospital, Sr. Angela Marie pursued her MBA at the Villanova School of Business, an experience she recalls as enriching, in particular the ethics and leadership courses. “Both helped me to look at who I am and what I stand for. They helped me to recognize the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of what we do.”
Her professional accomplishments throughout her 15 years at Nazareth Hospital were numerous, but it was the family atmosphere she created amongst the staff that was priceless. “It went beyond our daily ‘work,’ and spoke to recognizing and welcoming the gift of each person,” she recalls.
In 2010, Sr. Angela Marie was elected to the General Council of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, a role that called her to Rome, Italy. In 2019, she was elected Superior General of the Congregation, and has taken a personal approach to form bonds with more than 1,000 Sisters globally, just as she did with her pharmacy staff in Northeast Philadelphia.
As Superior General, Sr. Angela Marie endeavors to live the Congregation’s mission of spreading the Kingdom of God’s love around the world, and acknowledges she cannot do it alone. “By myself, I can do very little. I am aware that my service is really to help the other nearly 1,100 Sisters to carry out their roles, as teachers, nurses, childcare workers, family counselors, etc. Truly, it is they who make a difference in our world.”
Sister Angela Marie Mazzeo, CSFN ’06 MBA
“As for what inspires me to make a difference or serve others, it is primarily a response to God’s love and God’s calling. Of course, God uses many people and tools to shape us and to help us become aware of what is most important in life.”