Sister Kathleen Carberry

It was probably one of the few times the direction of a religious vocation was determined by sports. Kathleen Carberry attended St. Savior”s HS run by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. These Sisters were semi cloistered at that time. As she neared graduation, the young, athletic Kathleen considered joining them. Then she learned they weren’t allowed to swim. That didn’t fit with her at all! The vocation was shelved and Kathleen went off to college.

At St. Joseph College, Kathleen met the Sisters of St. Joseph. Eventually, the thought of religious life resurfaced.  She spoke with Sister George Aquin and decided she would “try it out.” After graduating in 1963, she entered the congregation and at Reception became Sister Vincent Marie.

Since she already had a degree and a major in Child Study, as a second-year novice, while the rest of her group went to classes, Kathleen was sent to teach the second-grade children at the Academy of St. Joseph.

Kathleen had been in Puerto Rico as a senior in college and had the opportunity to visit the Sisters on their missions.  She had loved it! When it was time for her group to be sent out on missions, she volunteered for Puerto Rico. She was sent to San Ignaio where she taught math and English in grades 6-8. Her love and understanding of the people and their culture as well as the proficiency she gained in Spanish would be an asset in the years to come.

Seven years later, Kathleen was asked to return to start the Child Study Department in the Suffolk campus of St. Joseph College, now St. Joseph’s University.

In 1977, she left the college and went to Our Lady of Lourdes School in West Islip where she would become principal. Meanwhile, Kathleen had earned an MA from NYU and certification in administration and supervision. Our Lady of Lourdes was classified as an underperforming school when she arrived. By 1986, it won a Blue-Ribbon Award from the Deprtment of Education in Washington, DC. It was time for Kathleen to move on.

In 1989, Kathleen went to St. Kilian’s in Farmingdale but in 1992, the school was regionalized.

Kathleen had always been sensitive to the needs of women for education and equality. In 1990, she had become the Head of the Diocesan Women’s Commission. The idea of meeting the needs of       women persisted.

The Congregation had established a sabbatical program and after St. Killian’s closed, Kathleen applied for a sabbatical. During that time, she thought seriously about doing something to further the education of immigrant women whose needs were not being met. On returning she discussed this with the current General Superior, S. Clara Santoro, who encouraged her. The Dominican Sisters had created a program called The Opening Word which helped welfare recipients get a GED and a paying job. Kathleen worked with them in a parallel program until the welfare laws changed in 1996. The women coming to her in Brentwood now had different needs. They were asking to be taught English. Some had never had the opportunity to go to school in their country; some only had a rudimentary education. They didn’t know the culture and all the opportunities available to them in this country. The clientele for each site had changed. Brentwood separated from the Opening Word and The Learning Connection was born.

The Learning Connection was committed to providing the tools for the empowerment for women who were undereducated, lacked a high school diploma, or spoke languages other than English. With Kathleen’s leadership and the contribution of many retired Sisters who volunteered, it flourished. In1998 The Learning Connection joined the Brentwood School District giving it access oi funding and supplies. Women came and were educated. At the ceremonies marking progress at the end of each year, their families attended with great pride. For some, it was the first time a family member “graduated”; for others, it was the next step into a productive future.  

Sister Mary Teresa Donlan had joined Sister Kathleen in 2000 and together they had expanded the program. As Kathleen says, “It was amazing! Whenever we needed something, it happened!”. From five students in the first class, enrollment rose to 331 students in 2024.From three alcoves and a computer in the beginning, the program is now housed in a newly created. fully equipped facility.

Sister Kathleen retired in 2018 but still works at the Learning Connection doing things that need to be done behind the scenes. Her heart is there with these women. It was a desire and a dream. With her zeal, the support of the congregation and the many donors and volunteers, the dream is now a respected and productive reality. It has touched and changed the lives of countless women for the better. The questions that still guide Kathleen are –
 What needs to be done? How can we help?

Eyes open, ears attentive and spirit alert…

never settled down, always in a holy disquietude, searching. . .
in order to understand,
to divine what God and the dear neighbor
await from her today…
Portrait of a daughter of St, Joseph