Students will remember her ability to make learning fun because she found teaching fun, and friends will remember the joy she brought to every gathering.
Sister Constance Brennan (Sister Mary Josita) was born July 20, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Joseph and Anne Patterson Brennan. Constance attended Saint Lawrence Academy, Manhattan, for both elementary and high school and, for two years, Rosemont College, Pennsylvania, before entering the Sisters of Charity of New York on September 8, 1956.
Sister Mary Josita earned a BA in English from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, the Bronx, and an MS in Library Science from Columbia University. In 1994, she received an MA in Religious Studies from Saint Joseph Seminary, Yonkers.
Sister Constance’s ministry spanned all levels of education for forty-eight years. Her thirty-three years on the elementary level as teacher and librarian were at Our Lady of Angels, Bronx, Saint Joseph Academy, Manhattan, Saint Joseph, Yonkers, and Visitation, Bronx. Her high school experience spanned twelve years as librarian, teacher, and director of audio/visual media at the Academy of Mount Saint Vincent, Tuxedo Park, and Saint Gabriel, New Rochelle. She assisted College of Mount Saint Vincent students for three years through her library science and media skills.
In 2007, Congregation leadership appointed Sister Constance as Archivist, a position she held for eight years and dearly loved. When Saint Joseph Convent in Yonkers, where she resided, closed in 2015, she joined the retirement community of sisters at Kittay Senior Apartments of The New Jewish Home in the Bronx. It is here she died on September 26, 2020, in the sixty-fifth year of commitment as a Sister of Charity.
No summary of Sister Constance’s years of service would be complete without including her thirty-five years of commitment and devotion to the religious education of children who attended public school. She did not receive a formal assignment to this ministry; her call came from a deep faith and genuine desire for children to know God’s love.
Beginning in 1979, in addition to her commitments as a classroom teacher, she devoted her weekends as a Catechist and then as Director of Religious Education at Saint Joseph Church, Yonkers. She later served as Director of Religious Education at Visitation Church, the Bronx. In 2011, she was honored by the Catechetical Office of the Archdiocese of New York for her years of commitment to this ministry.
Sister Constance loved to cook, act in drama presentations and write poetry. She was kind-hearted and generous, always thinking of others first. Students will remember her ability to make learning fun because she found teaching fun, and friends will remember the joy she brought to every gathering. Her warm, friendly personality cheered the sisters, staff and residents at Kittay. Sister Constance’s love of the Congregation was palpable, and her embodiment of its virtues of humility, simplicity and charity were evident to all.
We rejoice with her now as she is welcomed into God’s unending love and mercy. Be at peace, Sister Constance.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Constance Brennan, SC, was celebrated on October 2. Sister Frances Keegan delivered a heartfelt eulogy for her dear friend. We invite you to watch this moving tribute.
Date of Death
September 26, 2020
Age
84
Private Wake & Funeral
Burial
St. Joseph Cemetery
Yonkers, NY
Missions
Archdiocese of New York
- Our Lady of Angels, Bronx
1959–62, Teacher - St. Joseph Academy, Manhattan
1962–64, Teacher - Academy of Mt. St. Vincent, Tuxedo Park
1964–69, Librarian/Teacher - College of Mt. St. Vincent, Bronx
1969–72, Audio/Visual Dept., Librarian - St. Gabriel HS, New Rochelle
1972–79, Librarian, Audio/Visual - St. Joseph, Yonkers
1979–85, Librarian
1985–92, Teacher
1979–92, Dir. Rel. Ed. - Visitation, Bronx
1992–2007, Teacher, Dir. Rel. Ed.
2007–15, Dir. Rel. Ed. - Sisters of Charity Center, Bronx
2007–15, Congregation Archivist
One of the finest ladies to ever wear the robes of the Sisters of Charity or any Order for that matter.
She was dedicated, diligent, extremely helpful, and always pleasant and became a legend among religious archivists.
Sister Connie epitomized the maxim: “If you want something done, ask a busy person.”
R.I,P. My Dear Friend and friend to so many.
Philip Wilson
Senior Editor, Yorkville Quidnunc
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We agree!
Rest in Pace, dear Sr. Constance. I’m an alumnus of Visitation School, only met Sister a few ties at Visitation School fundraisers….but always hard she was a terrific teacher and role model for her students and for our community. .
Definitely a role model! Thank you for sharing.
So grateful and blessed to call Sister Connie my friend. She will be truly and deeply missed.
Thank you for your kind words. We will miss her, too. Blessings.
RIP Sister God Bless
Thank you.
I met Sister Constance not in church or school but in the YMCA pool where she brought her friendliness and exercised her legs–always smiling and inspiring, even early in the morning. May she now rest in peace and keep splashing!
Love your story! Thanks for sharing.
Sr. Constance “Connie” along with all Visitation’s School religious helped sculpt our young adults of today into fine men and women. We were so blessed. We are all reaping the awards of their spiritual guidance. Look over us Sr. Connie. You will be missed. God Bless you and thank you
Beautiful! Thank you.
RIP Sr. Constance. You were one of a kind and will be missed. Your lessons, however, will carry on through my children and beyond.
May she rest in peace.
I was at St. Joseph School when Sister Connie came to us. She was an inspiration to the children. I learned a lot from her. She taught me photography, forensics and I even assisted her with CCD. She will be truly missed. God now has a new angel, and I know she will be watching over us.
Sr. Connie was a kind and caring person. Very insightful too. Her simplicity always touched me, as did her love for all her sisters. She will be missed at the Kittay card games. Rest in peace with Yankee, Sr. Connie.
Sr. Constance was instrumental in my education at Visitation School. I can speak for my former classmates in expressing gratitude for her guidance during our formative years. I also remember visiting her at the College of Mount Saint Vincent during her time there.
I WILL REMEMBER HER FROM THE MOUNT, SHE WAS LIKE A MOTHER TO ALL OF US THAT WERE FAR FROM OUR COUNTRY AND FAMILLY
Sr. Constance was the example of a true sister of charity. I taught religious education at Visitation with sister. She was so kind and cared for the children first. She treated her teachers so kindly. Sister you will be missed
I remember Sr Connie from the Academy of Mt St Vincent’s where we knew her as Sr. Josita. She was sweet and kind with a great smile. In the last 10 years I got to know her even better through our Annual Alumnae Luncheons. She often spoke about what was happening with the Sisters of Charity. I was so happy to learn of her efforts as the Archivist to preserve the memorablia from the Academy. Many of us Alumnae were happy to provide! Rest in Peace.