With her happy disposition and sincere interest in others, Sister Kathleen could easily take up a conversation with anyone. She was always ready to share a story and to hear one from someone else.

Kathleen Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Sister Marie Assumpta, was born November 17, 1935, in the Bronx, New York, one of four daughters of Maurice and Nora Keenaghan Fitzgerald. Kathleen attended Saint Luke Elementary School in the Bronx and Cathedral High School in Manhattan. After graduation, Kathleen worked for two years before entering the Sisters of Charity of New York on September 8, 1955.

Sister Kathleen’s sixty-five years of active ministry were dedicated in the field of elementary education. In her first six years as a teacher, she served at Saint Anthony in the Bronx and Saint Bernard in Manhattan. In 1964, Sister Kathleen began ministry at Saint Patrick School in Bedford where she remained for the next fifty-nine years. During her long service here, she was a classroom teacher of all grades one through eight, Director of Development, Computer instructor, and specialized teacher of religion in grades six through eight. When Saint Patrick School closed in 2020, Sister Kathleen devoted herself as a teacher of religious education in Saint Patrick Parish and continued as a tutor when help was requested.

With her happy disposition and sincere interest in others, Sister Kathleen could easily take up a conversation with anyone. She was always ready to share a story and to hear one from someone else. This gift came with a sense of humor, an easy laugh, and a twinkle of Irish wit in her eyes. In her selfless way, she was quick to express her gratitude for any kindness received. Her sisters, their children, and the next generations in the family knew her love for them ran deep and wide and they returned their love to her.

Sister Kathleen’s indisputable and tender love of the children sustained her vocation of education until her sudden death on January 19, 2024. She was in her sixty-ninth year of commitment as a Sister of Charity of New York. For the people of Saint Patrick Parish and the wider Bedford area, Sister Kathleen’s steady presence over the years could only have been an assuring blessing.

Sister Kathleen, your life has been a growing relationship with our loving Creator God. You are now called to say an eternal Yes to the fullness of relationship our God offers and has promised.

Go forth to enter the richness of God’s glory!