Sister Patricia Burke, for a time known as Sister M. Malachy, made her profession of vows June 19, 1964 and spent most of her 60 years of profession in high school education, though she began her teaching ministry in a primary school classroom. She was born to Patrick and Mary Burke in County Offaly, Ireland, and raised there with her siblings until 1949 when the family moved to Chicago. She attended St. Genevieve grade school, an graduated from […]

Sister Marie Michelle was raised in Chicago. Her parents were Walter “Red” and Olga Hackett and her siblings were Pat and Joan. Her parents named her Norene Mary. She made her profession of vows on June 19, 1964, and a few weeks later she was in the third-grade classroom at Little Flower School, Springfield, Ill., where she taught for four years. She then taught first and third grade at St. Michael School, Duluth, Minn., 1968-1972, and then first […]

Sister Karen Marie fell under the influence of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield early in her life, once she started school at Ss. Peter & Paul Parish, Cary, Ill., where the congregation staffed the school. So it wasn’t a big surprise when she joined the Dominicans right out of high school. She made her profession on June 19, 1964 and began her teaching ministry a year later at Holy Cross School, Mendota, Ill., where she taught grade 6, […]

John and Margaret Somers raised four girls on their farm in Ivesdale, Ill. Sister Norma was the third child. It was on the farm that she learned many of the lessons she would impart to others through 75 years of profession and ministry as a Dominican sister of Springfield. She joined the community in 1947, right after graduation from Sacred Heart Academy, where she was a boarding student. After her first profession on January 3, 1949, she embarked […]