Age 100
Sister Mary Corkery experienced God’s presence in everyday life.
Raised on a farm in Sumner, Iowa, she entered the Sisters of Mercy at the age of 20 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A firm believer in education, she taught elementary education for over 40 years in the Diocese of Dubuque, Iowa. Mary also served as principal at St. Matthew’s in Kalispell, Montana, for six years and at Sacred Heart in Oelwein, Iowa, for five years.
Mary has the distinct honor of traveling to Baggot Street in Dublin, Ireland, to experience the life of Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, and to hold her ring. Mary presented one of the original letters written by Catherine to Frances Warde, the first Sister of Mercy to profess her final vows, that the former Cedar Rapids, Iowa community found in their archives.
A strong advocate for women’s rights and the right to vote, the Critical Concerns were an integral part of Mary’s life. She embodied a tenderness that can only be felt in someone with a truly kind and giving soul.