Sister Mary O’Connell- 75th Jubilee

Written on: April 13, 2023

Sister Mary O’Connell (Sister Thomas Francis) claims Philadelphia as her home. It was at Little Flower High School that she met the Grey Nuns for the first time and shortly after graduation, she entered the congregation.

Like most Grey Nuns, she spent her early years in education, teaching at St. Mary’s High School in Ogdensburg, New York, as well as at her alma mater, Little Flower, and at D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York. Her background in business prepared her well to serve as Director of Student Financial Aid at D’Youville College and then as Assistant Treasurer for the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart for more than eighteen years. It was during these years that she lived in Trenton, New Jersey as she mentions in her reflection below. Sister Mary then transitioned to the Congregational Advancement Office where she was Director of Development. In her retirement years, she shares life with the Grey Nuns who reside at Holy Redeemer Lafayette.

These 75 years have been rich a blessing for me. One of the many blessing was the opportunity to work with the poor, especially during my seven years as Assistant to the Catholic Chaplain at the prison in Buffalo. At the time of my 25th Jubilee, a prisoner was released in my honor. What a gift that was for me! Other experiences include sleeping with the shopping bag ladies every Saturday night for a year at St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia, and living among the poor in Trenton’s inner city for 18 years. I could never have done any of these had I not been a Grey Nun of the Sacred Heart and had the blessing of my God, my sisters and superiors. I have had a wonderful 75 years.

Divine Providence has led me through each year, always giving. In turn, as I gave, I received from those I served and from the many who have worked alongside of me. . .”

This entry was posted in From our Sisters and tagged: among the poor, Assistant to Catholic Chaplain Buffalo Prison, Assistant Treasurer, blessing, Buffalo prison, business, Congregational Advancement, D'Youville College, Director of Development, Director of Student Financial Aid, Divine Providence, each year, education, Holy Redeemer Lafayette, Little Flower High School for Girls, Philadelphia, prisoner released, retirement, Shopping-bag ladies, St. Francis Inn Philadelphia, St. Mary's Academy Ogdensburg, Teaching, Trenton NJ, with the poor