Sister Barbara Patricia Dempsey, CSJ

Good Morning everyone! We gather as a grace-filled community in our beautiful and warm Sacred Heart Chapel to celebrate and give thanks for the faith-filled life of Sister Barbara Dempsey, formerly Sister Mary Bernardino, a Sister of St. Joseph for 72 fruitful years.
Welcome to all, especially Sister Barbara’s family, and friends. The Dempsey Clan is here in great support as are her friends and party and all who pray with us from near and far via live stream.
Gratitude to Msgr. David Cassato, a dear friend of our CSJ family for celebrating Barbara’s life and legacy. A very fond and heartfelt welcome and words of gratitude to Barbara’s community of Sisters, Associates and Partners in Mission here at St. Joseph Convent. For the past 14 years, Barbara has called Brentwood her home and her life has been enriched by the care, attention and love that permeates our Motherhouse community. We are blessed, indeed.
On any given day the prayer experiences and activities offered by our dedicated Administration Team and our creative Recreation Team are extraordinary and relational. They are rich opportunities that offered Barbara a vibrant quality of life. Music was Barbara’s favorite activity ~ add Irish tunes and she was in her glory!
The care given by the Nursing Staff and Aides as well as housekeeping is superior. As they said, ‘we loved her for who she was!’
In her early years Barbara enjoyed the camaraderie. She would often voice words of gratitude for the devoted TLC that she received and with her characteristic smile would share candy from her abundant stash of goodies.
Barbara’s secret, which everyone knew, was that on occasional Friday nights, she asked her Aide to send out for Chinese food and Barbara and the Aides would enjoy her favorite Lobster Cantonese, Yum! Yum! accompanied by endless stories of life on a mission in her beloved Brooklyn and Puerto Rico.
Barbara’s early life was the tale of an only daughter with 4 adoring brothers born to Patrick and Bridget, Irish immigrants from County Cavan. She was the Dempsey Queen. Home life at St. Patrick’s Parish, LIC was filled with devotion to family, faith and hard work that fostered in Barbara a deep and lively faith and an avid love of all things Irish. In fact we’re adding as a meditation at the end of mass the song, Our Lady of Knock ~ one that Barbara loved.
After graduating from St. Joseph Juniorate, Barbara began her long and stellar ministry of Catholic education at the elementary level that spanned 51 years.
In 1960 Barbara was sent to Puerto Rico to teach in San Conrado and later in Santa Teresita while pursuing her BA degree from Catholic University of Puerto Rico.
Barbara’s deep love and affection for her ministry in Puerto Rico and its warm friendly people continued in the stories and tales she retold up until her death.
Returning to the states, Barbara went on to obtain a Masters degree in Bilingual Education from NYU. Her gift in languages enabled her to participate in After School Services, Outreach and Religious Education programs at the numerous parishes where she served ~ all in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Barbara’s love of teaching, especially religion and preparation for the sacraments grounded her and her students in an active love of God that knew no bounds. The seeds planted in Barbara’s loving faithfulness to the power of Catholic education have blossomed in hundreds of students and their families over the years.
Anyone who knew Barbara immediately knew that her love of family was central to her life. Her brothers, Peter, Bernard, John and James, their spouses, 13 nieces and nephews and their families, delighted her with countless experiences of gatherings celebrating sacraments and significant milestones, always enhanced with good fun, abundant food, and lots of Irish music.
Barbara’s faithful prayer life was always filled with gratitude for her family’s presence in her life. If you asked Barbara “How’s your family? You were good for an hour’s response ~ with no details left unspoken!
As we give thanks to our gracious God for Barbara’s fidelity and life of loving service as a Sister of St. Joseph for 72 years, we join in praise with all the holy women who have gone before us as they welcome Barbara home.

Sister Barbara Patricia Dempsey, CSJ, the former Sister Bernadino, died on December 30, 2024 in the 72nd year of her religious life.