Meet Sister Mary Kennedy

Sister Mary Kennedy’s vocation story stands as a testament to following one’s calling with faith and courage, wherever it might lead.

Sr. Mary Kennedy felt the quiet stirrings of a calling to religious life as a young girl in Ireland. Answering that call took her across oceans and countries in service to others. Today she shares her gifts with the sisters at Assisi House as a member of the Franciscan Care Team.

Mary grew up in Cashel, a small provincial town with a population of just 3,000 people, steeped in Irish history as the ancient seat of the Kings of Munster. In the shadow of the historic Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, Ireland, Mary attended the local “Convent School” run by the Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After completing her primary education in 1958, she continued to St. Philomena’s Academy for her secondary education. Mary was introduced to the Sisters of St. Francis when Sr. M. Humiliata Byrne and Sr. Olive Marie Cox spoke to her class. There was something about their presentation that impressed Mary, and she knew that she wanted to enter their congregation. Despite her mother’s reservations about religious life, Mary felt drawn to serve God as a sister. Following her successful Leaving Certificate Exams in 1963, and despite her mother setting this academic hurdle as a criterion to test her vocation, Mary entered the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia on August 15, 1963, just four days after receiving her results.

Sr. Mary with her Guatemalan godchildren, Mario and Juan José.

After arriving in the United States in January 1964, Sr. Mary began a 20-year career in elementary education. She spent 12 years as a teacher, working with students from grades 1-8, and eight years as a school principal. Four of those years were spent at a residential school for emotionally disturbed children in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and another four at St. Raphael’s Parish in Trenton, New Jersey. “I learned about the frailty of families and that one could never know what trauma children were experiencing at home,” she reflects. This insight led her to develop more creative and individualized teaching approaches, including specialized programs in math, reading, and science, as well as introducing mini courses with parental support.

In 1982, while on retreat at the Glen, Sr. Mary heard what she describes as “the call to mission.” Though initially unclear about the nature of this call, she continued to pray for guidance. When the congregation invited sisters to serve in Puerto Rico in late 1986, Sr. Mary answered the call, eventually beginning her missionary preparation at Maryknoll in October 1987.

With the Guapinol River, Honduras, in the background, Sr. Mary Kennedy poses with family members of the Guapinol Eight.

After working briefly in education in Puerto Rico with minimal Spanish skills, Sr. Mary underwent language study in Guatemala before returning to mission work. She was led to the Diocese of El Quiche with Sr. Moira Frawley, where they served as pastoral agents during a tumultuous period in Guatemala’s history.

Sr. Mary’s eyes were opened to the oppression of indigenous communities and church workers in Guatemala. She recalls how they were regularly monitored by military academy students, forcing them to be cautious in their work. “We were there to be signs of hope that the Church hadn’t abandoned them in the most persecuted Diocese in the country,” she explained.

Working with Bishop Julio Cabrera Ovalle, who was himself on a death list for speaking up for indigenous rights, Sr. Mary sometimes accompanied him to more conflictive areas where his life might be in danger. “Having someone with him that had two passports was a life-saving act for him,” she notes. “I knew there was danger, but I also knew that I would not die a second before the time God had ordained for me.” Sr. Mary was deeply moved by the faith of the indigenous people she served. She recalls how Bishop Julio would often comment on their natural ability to pray: “We learned to say prayers when we were small, but the Indigenous learned to pray to God from the heart.”

Sr. Mary poses with her siblings.

Her work in Guatemala ended when Mary was called home to Ireland to care for her mother who was suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. Sr. Mary became her mother’s primary caregiver, providing round-the-clock care until her mother’s death. “She was most grateful for the TLC which I gave her,” Mary remembers. “I loved her dearly and when she was able to speak she would tell me about her childhood. When she could no longer speak she responded by trying to form words or making faces, nodding her head and letting me know if I was on the right track understanding what she needed.”

After her mother’s passing, Sr. Mary stayed on to care for her father for another two years before returning to the United States. During this period, she joined a caregivers support group, eventually becoming its leader, and even found time to pursue art classes with fellow sister Katie O’Donnell. When one of her brothers moved back home, Sr. Mary was able to return to the U.S.

“When I returned to the States, I found a totally different world, both in religious life and in society. It took me some time to adjust,” she shares. While discerning what would be next, Sr. Mary volunteered for the spiritual center in Aston, cataloging a large collection of books. Sr. Mary knew that she wanted to use her Spanish and so her next ministry was to work with Rev. Peter J. Welch who was charged with setting up Hispanic ministry in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. For the next 21 years, Sr. Mary worked in Hispanic ministry for Catholic Social Services in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia—for seven years each in Delaware Co., Montgomery Co., and South Philly.

Sr. Mary introduces the Parenting Cafe approach to one of the ESL classes at Aquinas Center in Philadelphia.

Today, Sr. Mary serves on the Franciscan Care Team at Assisi House, where she tends to the non-medical needs of her fellow sisters. Her responsibilities include visiting sisters in their rooms, accompanying them to doctor’s appointments, helping them prepare funeral liturgies, connecting them with distant family members, and participating in liturgy as a lector and Eucharistic minister.

“Getting to know each sister and appreciate how she has been a Light in the community over her long years of service has been very enriching for me,” she shares. “I feel that I am being blessed far more than what I am giving to them in loving service.”

In her free time, Sister Mary enjoys reading detective books, novels, and natural health books. She also takes pleasure in word searches, Mahjong, jigsaws, and card games with her sisters in the convent. A believer in ongoing conversion and self-growth, she participates in webinars that help her “plunge my depths and become a more compassionate person to myself and others.”

When asked if she ever considered a different vocational path, Mary admits that she once thought about following in the footsteps of Edel Quinn, a Legionary of Mary who became an envoy to Africa. “I thought I could do that and then after a few years come home and get married,” she recalls. “But I also knew with absolute certainty that I would never be happy until I tested out my call to be a sister.”

After decades of service across multiple countries and ministries, Sister Mary Kennedy’s vocation story stands as a testament to following one’s calling with faith and courage, wherever it might lead—from the ancient streets of Cashel to the mountains of Guatemala and back to caring for her fellow sisters in their final years.

Colleen Collins