S. Marie Happ Honored at Principal’s Gala at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School February 2, 2026

On January 27th, St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip honored S. Marie Happ, OP, at the Principal’s Gala held at the Bourne Mansion in Oakdale.

St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School honored our dear S. Marie Happ, who has served for 52 years as a biology teacher and advisor to the Medical Science Institute.

Also honored that night were Athletic Director and Health Chairperson Lorraine Boukas and Retired Principal and former teacher Walter Lace.

Catholic Faith Network highlighted our very own S. Marie Happ and her longtime ministry at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School.

Her friend Len Krebs, who is a member of the science department, shared her story. Here is an excerpt:

“Sister Marie’s expressive fascination with science emerged when she took a college biology class while studying at the Motherhouse in Amityville. It was taught by professors from Molloy College. She eventually earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and education at Molloy, followed by a master’s degree in biology from CW Post.

After teaching in the fifth-grade contained classrooms and then seventh-grade science at St. Agnes in Rockville Centre, Sister Marie came to St. John the Baptist (SJB) in 1972. She was a biology teacher from the very beginning. She had, and still has, a gift for relating course topics to the everyday world through all of her numerous stories. If you’ve been in her class, you know…sometimes while teaching, she’d produce the gallstones from a student’s grandfather, a pacemaker she picked up during an MSI workshop at Good Samaritan University Hospital, or the X-ray given to her by one of her doctors. (This led one student to say: “Sister knows a lot of sick people.”)

For over 40 years, she would incubate duck eggs so students could experience firsthand the miracle of life. Sister Marie instills a love for science and a passion for numerous medical professions. Recently, S. Marie has committed herself to the development and implementation of the Medical Science Institute (MSI, formally We Care) program with Good Samaritan University Hospital, which has inspired students to pursue careers in the medical fields.

“Marie has enjoyed traveling throughout our country on our wonderful trips to Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, and Reno, to name a few, with Michael Holzman, Nancy Hurley, and me. On school trips, she enjoyed tartufo in Rome and even ventured down a slide into the salt mines of Salzburg. Her students love seeing her outside of the classroom in their travels and experience her endless knowledge and incredible sense of humor. It is truly wonderful that Sister Marie has taught so many generations of students while living by our school motto: in faith and gentleness. Her legacy is boundless. She truly represents all that is great at SJB. Congratulations, my dear friend, we love you.”

Watch the coverage of the Principal’s Gala on January 27th, including a short interview with Sister Marie at Catholic Faith Network, here. Click here to read the bio from the book that night.