Sister Mary Petrus, of the Sisters of Mercy whose Mother house is in Rochester, New York, is president of Catherine McAuley College, a three year liberal arts college in Rochester for the preliminary training of teaching Sisters. Born in Rochester in 1931, she received her B.A. from Nazareth College of Rochester and her M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Notre Dame. Sister Mary Petrus did her doctoral research on The Descriptive Style of Joseph Conrad, as evident in five novels of his most inspired decade, 1897-1907. Her research, writings, lectures and teaching have been in the area of literature, religion and the humanities. She has also done some writing and producing of student drama.