Sister Maira Barry celebrates golden jubilee

Sister Maira was born in Glansworth, County Coyne, Ireland, and made her profession of vows August 8, 1974. 

Her ministry for many years was as a primary school teacher. She taught second grade at Little Flower School, Springfield, 1975-1977, then first grade at Sacred Heart School, Pana, Ill. 1977-1979. The next five years she spent teaching grades 1-4 at St. John School, Carrollton, Ill. From 1984-1985 she taught at St. Thomas School, Crystal Lake, Ill., and then grades 1 and 2 at Holy Angels School, Aurora, Ill., 1985-1987. 

In 1987 she moved to Redlands, Calif., where she taught grades 1 and 2 at Sacred Heart School. In 1992 she returned to Chicago where she taught third grade at St. Edward School, 1992-1995. For the next three years she taught third and fourth grade at St. Thomas School, Philo, Ill., and following that third grade at St. Gilbert School, Grayslake, Ill., through 2000. After a sabbatical year she returned, full circle, to Little Flower School where she taught first grade, 2003-2007. 

For a year after that she served as pastoral visitor at St. Dominic Hospital, Jackson, Miss., and then embarked on a new ministerial pursuit in hospital chaplaincy. She studied at Loyola University Medical Center and was certified as a chaplain by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains in 2010. Since then she has served as a chaplain at St. John Hospital, Springfield, Ill.