Mary E. Laney, Episcopal priest in city, Montco

The Rev. Mary E. Laney, 71, an Episcopal priest and advocate for social justice who served congregations in Philadelphia and Gladwyne, died of cancer Monday, Nov. 19, at Lankenau Hospital.

Rev. Laney, a native Philadelphian, was the rector of St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church in the city's Feltonville section for 15 years until about 2005. Until her death, she was assistant rector of St. Christopher's Church in Gladwyne.

She was a leader of Philadelphia Interfaith Action, a faith-based community advocacy group that pressured public officials and business leaders on issues ranging from gun violence and public safety to affordable housing.

In an op-ed column in the Inquirer in 1997, Rev. Laney and the Rev. Isaac J. Miller, then rector of North Philadelphia's Church of the Advocate, wrote:

"We have proposed widespread community policing experiments in the city. We have fought for the sealing and demolition of abandoned buildings.

''And we are preparing to urge the mayor to focus his energies on bread and butter issues - like the hemorrhaging of jobs and families from our city."

Mary Elizabeth Selby was born on July 12, 1941. She was a graduate of Olney High School, Temple University, and the General Theological Seminary in New York, where she earned a master's degree in theology.

In 1960, she married Earl Laney, whom she had met at a church dance about five years earlier. He is the retired president and chief executive officer of the Media Members Credit Union, which serves employees of The Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com.

"I first met her when she was 13 years old," said her husband. "She was a strong believer in our faith, a strong believer in family, the civil rights movement, and the community development movement."

Bishop Allen Bartlett, retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, hailed Rev. Laney as an outstanding cleric.

"She was one of the first priests I ordained and one of the best," said Bartlett. "I ordained her a deacon in 1986 and a priest in 1987."

He described Rev. Laney as "a woman of courage, enthusiasm, and quick humor. She was lively."

Bartlett noted that at St. Gabriel's, Rev. Laney led a culturally diverse congregation.

"Eight to 10 different languages were spoken there," Bartlett said. "She always stood for inclusion and responding to the needs of those on the margins."

Rev. Laney was vice president of the Episcopal Diocese's Standing Committee, the church's board.

She also urged redevelopment of the area of the sinking homes of Logan, a large tract of rowhouses that were demolished after they were found to be sinking in 1986 because they were built on a creek bed.

Father Miller said Rev. Laney was a dynamic advocate, noting that she spoke out in support of community policing and against gun violence.

"There are folks that you want with you when you are in a serious fight and Mary is probably among a handful of folks who I want on my side in a fight," Father Miller said.

"She had a sharp mind in terms of thinking strategically and tactically. She was absolutely fearless across the board."

In addition to her husband, Rev. Laney is survived by two daughters, Nancy and Karen Volpe. A son, Christopher, preceded her in death.

A viewing will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, at St. Christopher's Church, 226 Righters Mill Rd., Gladwyne. A funeral Mass will follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be in the church's cemetery.