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Sister Saint Mary Magdalen
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(Music, click here)
It was on the 25th of April, 1925 when young Sister St. Mary Magdalen, fresh from her formation at Chestnut Hill, arrived by street car at St. Leo’s. It was during this early period that Sister help compose the Hymn to St. Leo.
With the closing of the commercial school, ninth and tenth grades, in 1940, the parish was able to offer a new service in the vacated rooms – a kindergarten class. Sister St. Mary Magdalen was placed in charge, and she found her life’s work. Her first graduating class was 1941.
Sister St. Mary Magdalen celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 1975. The final Kindergarten class graduated in 1977. Kindergarten closed upon her official retirement. 58 years of her religious life were spent living at St. Leo’s. She is but one of a number of the Sisters of St. Joseph who spent the larger part of their teaching careers at St. Leo’s. Included in this select group are: Sisters Alma Immaculate, Rose Edmund, Rose DeSales, William Bernard, Consolota and Miriam Francis.
Now here it was, January 27, 1984 and Sister St. Mary Magdalen attended her final Mass at St. Leo’s, this one for the children of the school. She had known so many, especially the kindergarten children which had been her life and joy for thirty-seven years. Just about one-thirty in the afternoon, a crowd of well wishers gathered outside the convent to see sister off. At the last moment, six children stepped up to the automobile and began to sing:
Let the merry sun shine in,
Let the merry sun shine in,
Open all the windows,
Open all the doors,
Let the merry sun shine in.
Sister softly joined in. Visible tears were rolling down her cheeks as the car slowly pulled away.
**** Information was taken from the book, ST. LEO CHURCH - “A Century of Service” edited by Lou Baldwin
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