Sister Eileen Patricia Haggerty, CSJ

In today’s gospel we hear Jesus teach his disciples with the words of the beatitudes. Simply stated “Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.” Today we gather to celebrate the life of Eileen Haggerty, a Sister of St. Joseph for seventy-three years, a teacher who heard the words of Jesus and lived her life proclaiming them in unassuming deeds and actions.

Eileen was born in Brooklyn to Ellen and Arthur and attended St Brendan’s high school. After graduation, Eileen entered the congregation and became a teacher, earning a Bachelor’s degree in English from Manhattan College and a Masters from Catholic University in Washington, DC.  She taught elementary grades in Holy Child Jesus, St. James, Epiphany, St. Joseph, St. Camillus, Transfiguration and Academia San Jose in Puerto Rico. Eileen began teaching English in high school, first in Puerto Rico in Academia Santa Maria and Academia Santa Monica. Returning to the States, she taught English in Bishop McDonnell High School, St. Joseph, St. Angela Hall and The Mary Louis Academy.

Eileen was an excellent teacher who cared about her students and proclaimed Jesus’ message of mercy, compassion, peace and justice to them. Living her life, devoted to the Blessed Mother, Eileen had an innate sense of justice recognizing the struggles of people who were impoverished and suffering. Long before the plight of migrant farmers was recognized, Eileen was a member of the National Farmworker Ministry in the early 1970s.  A core value of this organization is respect, recognizing the inherent dignity of all persons looking to treat others with the care and respect with which we would like to be treated. Eileen passed these values on to her students as she empowered them to live the message of the gospel and our congregation’s mission of unity through love of God and neighbor without distinction. We are grateful for the gift of Eileen to our congregation and confident that she now enjoys the fullness of life with our loving God.

Sister Eileen Haggerty, CSJ died on June 27, 2019 in the 73rd year of her religious life.