Sister Maria Candelaria, OP, died Thursday, June 18, 2026, at St. Dominic Villa, Hazel Green, Wis. Her Funeral Mass will take place at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 2 at St. Dominic Villa. Casey-McNett Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

She was born Sept. 23, 1936, to Roque and Maria (Vigil) Candelaria in Albuquerque, N.M. They named her Josefita. She made her first profession as a Discalced Carmelite in 1957 and received the religious name Maria Isabel. She transferred her vows to the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa in 1980. Maria earned a BA in religious studies and Spanish from Rosary College (now Dominican University), River Forest, Ill.; an MPS in pastoral studies from Loyola University, Chicago, Ill.; and an MA in secondary education from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

Sister Maria's ministry has been dedicated to teaching. In Albuquerque, she was a teacher and religious education teacher at Holy Ghost Parish and School and teacher at Ernie Pyle Middle School. She was also an ESL teacher at Alamosa Elementary School. In Texas, she taught Spanish and religious studies at Bishop Lynch High School, Dallas. She filled the Villa with prayer and laughter.

Sister Maria was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Bobby (Dolores Irene) Candelaria and LeRoy (Anabella) Candelaria. She is survived by numerous relatives and her Dominican Sisters. Memorials may be made to the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, 585 County Road Z, Sinsinawa, Wis., or given online at sinsinawa.org/donate.