‘Counting my wrinkles’: Sister, at 105, serves
God for 85 years
June 14, 2008
Brian D. Wallace
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105 Years Young—Sister Kathleen Kieran recently celebrated her 105th birthday and 85th jubilee as a School Sister of Notre Dame at the Lourdes Health Center of the Belden Hill Motherhouse in Wilton. “There are so many good people in this world,” she says. “We have much to be grateful for.” |
She loves music and company. The Rosary is the prayer closest to her heart, and her favorite dinner is a soft-boiled egg.
At 105, Sister Kathleen Kieran has lived through 17 U.S. presidents and nine popes, but what we call “history” is not how she takes the measure of her life.
For 85 years she has been a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame and has lived a full life in community, daily prayer and service to others.
Though her sight has grown somewhat dim and she may ask you to repeat a word or two, Sister Kathleen is remarkably vital and eager to receive visitors.
“She is a delightful person, always cheerful and prayerful,” says Sister Mary Rose Crowley, her superior. “Sister is grateful for her vocation and for the many blessings she has received in her 85 years of dedicated service to God and the spreading of God’s Kingdom.”
Born in Roxbury, Mass., in 1903, when Teddy Roosevelt was president and the Wright Brothers made their historic flight at Kitty Hawk, she always wanted to be a nun.
Take Charge
“It made me feel important,” quips Sister Kathleen with a mischievous smile. In her prime, she taught classes with as many as 65 students and clearly learned how to take charge.
She entered the Aspiranture of the School Sisters of Notre Dame at the age of 14, and five years later, on August 28, 1923, was professed, receiving the name Sister Mary Ambrosine. For the first five years of her religious life, Sister was stationed at St. Joseph’s Convent on 125th Street in New York City.
She spent 58 years in the classroom in various locations including Brooklyn, Baltimore, Providence and Cambridge, Mass. “There was never a year when I wasn’t glad and excited to return to the classroom,” she recalls.
Sister has lifelong friends and former students who always remember her and keep in touch. She finds joy in their notes, letters and visits.
Though largely confined to a wheelchair (she walked until two years ago), Sister Kathleen is up early each morning for breakfast at 7:30 a.m., followed by Mass at 10:00 a.m. and a full day of activities.
Far from Alone
At present, there are 40 retired sisters in the Lourdes Health Center, and Sister Kathleen is far from alone in enjoying advanced age. Just behind her are two sisters, one 103 and another 102, and a large number in their nineties, including some who are 98 and 99 and heading for the century mark.
“They are all very well cared for here,” says Sister Mary Rose Crowley,” but they’ve also spent their days with healthy routines, strong prayer lives, and good lives in community.”
Sister Mary Rose, who enjoys the time she spends each day with Sister Kathleen and other elderly nuns, says that we have much to learn from them, their patience, and their acceptance.
Moving On
“What you see are women who have given their lives to God,” she observes. “That brings a kind of confidence. They know we’re here for just a short time, no matter how long a life, and we’re moving on. Death is not a terrible thing. It’s a natural process and the sisters are very much at peace with that. They’re prayerful people who go with the flow. It’s just a continuation of how they’ve lived.”
Though Sister Kathleen has long outlived her entire family, she enjoys her life, has a good sense of humor—and even manages to get off a zinger every now and then that keeps Sister Mary Rose on her toes.
After the recent 85th jubilee celebration for Sister Kathleen, Sister Mary Rose asked her if she realized that her friends and former students had come a long way to fill two tables in her honor.
“I know they came to count my wrinkles,” Sister Kathleen quipped, and added, “You look tired, Sister—you ought to take a rest.”