MOTHER MARY KEVIN KEARNEY “SERVANT OF GOD”
“Prophetic Irish woman whose Franciscan dream and
vision continues to yield new hope to the world today,
imparting courage, trust and peace to those who live in
pain, and whose hope is long gone
Mother Mary Kevin Kearney was born in Ireland in April 28th 1875 In Knocknerahan,
Arklow, Co. Wicklow. She was born into a family of three children; Ann, Elizabeth,
and Maria Teresa. Three months before she was born, Michael Kearney died in a fatal accident.
Her Mother remarried and had three more children, two girls and a boy.When Maria Teresa was ten years old,
another tragedy befell her- her mother died on March 17th 1885 leaving the little Teresa orphaned.
Her other sisters left for a better opportunity in America leaving Teresa behind.
She found refuge
with her maternal grandmother Grennel. This is where the young Teresa experienced care giving, love, security,
a deep faith and Grennel shared her wisdom with little Teresa.Teresa went to school at the Convent of Mercy in Arklow.
She loved being in school, but due to her grandmother’s increasing age, sickness, responsibility at home and poverty,
Teresia, at the age of 14, quit school and chose to train as an Assistant Teacher with the sisters of Mercy because
she had no money to continue with her education. Shortly before she turned seventeen her grandmother died unexpectedly.
Faced with many bereavements at a young age, she courageously wrestled life’s challenges. At the age of 18, she took
some lessons in Home-Nursing and First Aid to assist with her upkeep. Perhaps all these things happened to prepare
Mother Kevin for the strength and practical wisdom she would need in Africa.A year later she went to teach in one of the schools
in Essex, meanwhile searching for what God had in the future for her. On the advice of her spiritual Director,
a Franciscan Friar, she applied to the Franciscan Sisters of St. Mary’s Abbey, Mill Hill London on November 21st,
1895 at the age of twenty years old. It was during that time she felt called to the charism of serving the African
American Community. She took her Perpetual Vows as Sr. Mary Kevin of the Sacred Passion . In, 1902, a Mill Hill Father,
Bishop Hanlon, requested that the Abbey send sisters to Uganda as missionaries to help with the needs of women, needy
children, education ministers, health care and development skills.
Sr. Mary Kevin was one of the sisters chosen, and with five
other sisters, she left for Uganda on December 2nd 1902 and arrived in
Munyonyo on the shores of Lake Victoria on May 15th 1903.
In 1910 Sister Paul, the first leader of the group returned to USA, and Sister Kevin took the role of leadership for fifty years
in Uganda.
She brought hope to Uganda. Many convents, primary schools, clinics, and women’s development groups were opened
in Uganda. In 1903 a clinic that began under a mango tree at Nsambya, Kampala in Uganda became a hospital, and thereafter a
training School for Uganda Registered Nurses.In 1923, Mother Kevin started the congregation of the Little Sisters of St.
Francis of Assisi. Later, in June 9th 1952, she started another Religious Congregation- the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for
Africa in Ireland. Mother Kevin left for Boston, USA in February 1955 for her new appointment to solicit money for the missions
in Africa. Mother Kevin Never gave up. She died peacefully on the morning of 17th October 1957 in Boston after a long and busy
day giving talks to people. Mother Kevin was a great missionary, she finished her mission here on earth, but her vision lives on.