“Sister Kevin is remembered by all who knew her for her quiet and calm demeanor, her kindness and compassion, and her great abilities as a teacher.”
Sister Marie Kevin MacDonald (Mary) was born on December 28, 1928 in Manhattan, one of two daughters of Alexander and Julia Marron MacDonald. Mary attended Our Lady of Solace School, Cathedral High School, and Hunter College before entering the Sisters of Charity of New York on September 8, 1952. Sister Kevin completed her MA in History at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. She later earned NYS Permanent Certification in Social Studies.
The ministry of elementary education was Sister Kevin’s first love and major focus throughout her forty-six years of active ministry. Her first mission assignment was to Saint Agatha’s Home in Nanuet. From there she was sent to Saint Joseph School in Yonkers, followed by Sacred Heart School on Staten Island. From 1964 until 1980, Sister Kevin was a teacher and the Religion Coordinator at Saint Paul School in Harlem. In 1980 she returned to Staten Island where she taught eighth grade at Saint Mary School. She then taught in Saint Anthony School in the Bronx; Saint Rita School in Long Island City; and Saint Gabriel School in East Elmhurst. From 1990 until 1996 Sister Kevin taught computer classes at Saints Peter and Paul School in the Bronx. In her retirement Sister Kevin was involved in the ministry of Prayer, Service and Witness. She moved to the Convent of Mary the Queen in 1999 where she continued this ministry with the community there.
Sister Kevin is remembered by all who knew her for her quiet and calm demeanor, her kindness and compassion, and her great abilities as a teacher. She loved all of the children she taught, and they loved and respected her for all that she accomplished with them. Sister Kevin also loved her family and the Sisters of Charity. We rejoice with her now as she enters the Kingdom and is welcomed by our loving God and all of her family, friends, and the Sisters of Charity who have gone before her. Be at peace, Sister Kevin.
DATE OF DEATH
January 26, 2015
Age
86
WAKE
Convent of Mary the Queen
35 Vark Street, Yonkers, NY 10701
Friday, January 30, 2015, 2:30–8:00 pm
6:30 pm Prayer Service
FUNERAL MASS
Convent of Mary the Queen
Saturday, January 31, 2015, 10:00 am
BURIAL
Saint Joseph Cemetery
Yonkers, NY
Ministries
Archdiocese of New York
- St. Agatha Home
1955–1957, Teacher - St. Joseph, Yonkers
1957–1959, Teacher - Sacred Heart, Staten Island
1959–1964, Teacher - St. Mary, Staten Island
1980–1982, Teacher, Gr. 8 - St. Paul, Manhattan
1964–1980, Teacher, Religious Ed. Coordinator - St. Anthony, Bronx
1982–1984, Teacher - Ss. Peter and Paul, Bronx
1990–1995, Teacher, Computer - Ss. Peter and Paul/St. Ann, Bronx
1995–1996, Teacher, Computer - St. Rita, Long Island City
1985–1986, Teacher, Gr. 4 - St. Gabriel, East Elmhurst
1989–1990, Teacher, Gr. 3 - Woodside
1996–1999, Prayer, service, and witness
Sister Kevin, although we never met in this life, I hope to visit you when the time comes in your eternal mansion in heaven. Console your family left behind and know you made this world a better place for many. XXO
Sr. Kevin taught me in 7th and 8th grade at Sacred Heart School Staten Island,NY
I just happened to try to search her name and wanted to thank her for her kindness. She was always kind and understanding.
She helped mold who I am today.
See you in the next life!
Mary
I am a healthcare consultant based in Minnesota who worked with Sister Kevin during her time with St. Vincent Manhattan – not exactly a person you’d expect to leave a tribute. But one of the most profound conversations I’ve had during my career was one with Sister Kevin. She told me a story about the epidemic of AIDS in the 80s in Greenwich Village. At the time, little was known about how it was transmitted or how contagious it was. Health workers were concerned about transmission. Meanwhile, her community, which consisted of large populations of gays and drug users, was hit heavily by this epidemic. She believed it was her mission to care for “God’s children” in the Village. They built the second AIDS clinic in the country (San Francisco had the first), at a Catholic hospital, during a time people thought you might be able to “catch AIDS” through casual contact. This program continues to be the leading destination for AIDS care in NYC, even surviving the eventual late 2000s bankruptcy of the hospital. She was incredibly proud of what she believed to be her ministry and the legacy of care to her community.