Sister Margaret Hennessey, MM

Born: March 13, 1930
Entered: October 31, 1947
Died: July 30, 2024

Sister Margaret Hennessey went home into the arms of God at 3:40 pm on July 30, 2024 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY. On recent visits with her, she would often have her arms outstretched, with a smile on her face, to be received by God and loved ones. One day, she clearly articulated the following: “Una palabra…Dios tiene la ultima palabra!” (Translation: “One word …God has the last word!” She often expressed deep appreciation and gratitude for the caring staff during the long-suffering of her final months, and for the many sisters, friends, and family who accompanied her in prayer and presence.

Known to many of us as our dear Sister Peggy, she was born March 13, 1930 in Flushing, NY to Frances (McNally) and John F. Hennessey, baptized Frances Margaret and had 4 sisters and 2 brothers, all who have predeceased her. Her mother died when she was three years old. She is survived by many nieces and nephews. Her sister Patricia, a Dominican Sister of Peace, passed away in December 2023. Peggy entered Maryknoll at the novitiate in Valley Park, Missouri from Our Lady of Lourdes parish on October 31, 1947, having graduated from Bishop McDonnell High School in Brooklyn, NY the same year.  She professed First Vows May 8, 1950 at Valley Park and Final Vows, May 8, 1953 at Maryknoll, NY. She earned an R.N. from St. Catherine’s Hospital School of Nursing in Brooklyn in 1953.

Her first mission assignment was to Bolivia in 1953 where she worked in a parish clinic in Cochabamba for three years. Her religious name was Michael John, or Micaela in the early years in Latin America. She then went to the jungle mission of Riberalta, Beni, Bolivia, where she worked in the Sisters’ hospital. In 1960 she was assigned to the town of Azangaro in the Altiplano of Peru, where she did home visiting and nursing in an out-patient clinic. After three years in Azangaro she moved to the town of Juli, Peru. There she continued nursing in a government clinic. It was in Juli that she saw the need for health education and began to teach in the newly formed Instituto de Educacion Rural (IER) – the Rural Life Institute – located on the outskirts of Juli. Always the learner, she updated herself with workshops in the pedagogy of Paulo Freire.

In 1971, Peggy returned to the U.S. where she earned a B.A. in Community Service at Rogers College. Returning to Peru in 1972, she continued her nursing and health education as well as the training of Health Promoters in the town of Ilave, also in the Altiplano. Our Sister Maria Zeballos (not yet a sister yet at the time) was part of the lay-religious health promotion team. Peggy’s niece, Patty Boyd, was a lay missioner in Ilave during this time.

In 1976, Peggy moved to Lima, Peru, where she, along with Maryknoll Father Tom Garrity, founded the Associacion Peruana de Misioneros (APM) – Peruvian Missionary Society, promoting the Peruvian lay missionary vocation and accompanying with formation and support. Our Sister Juana Encalada began her missionary vocation with APM and eventually entered Maryknoll. Together with the APM team, Peggy researched and help set up the first mission in Ayacucho, a place in the sierras of extreme poverty. In 1978, Peggy journeyed to Rome to represent APM at a worldwide gathering of Missionary Institutes. APM was the only institute from the Third World. APM soon sent missioners to areas of need across Peru. By the 1980’s, they crossed into Bolivia and Chile. In 1992, APM sent a team to Nagoya, Japan, accompanying immigrant Latin-Americans.

Peggy continued APM formation work for the next years based initially in our regional Center House in Lima, then San Juan de Miraflores across from Ciudad de Dios where our sisters were present, both located on the margins of Lima. In 1984 she moved to Villa El Salvador-Pachacamac continuing formation together with Maryknoll Father Marty Murphy while becoming active in the parish, nursing those afflicted with tuberculosis, the #1 cause of death both among the poor of Lima and among women of childbearing age. She felt that tuberculosis was caused as much by poverty as by germs. Bishop Cristobal Mejia of Chulucanas, Piura who was pastor at the time in Villa El Salvador has sent his condolences and deep appreciation for Peggy’s service and promotion of the health ministry in the zone.

While living in Pachacamac, some of her neighbors were afflicted with HIV/AIDS so she started to learn more about the disease. This led to becoming part of a pastoral/medical team of doctors, nurses, social and pastoral workers that visited HIV/AIDS patients both at home and in the hospital, focusing their work with the poor and homeless, which included monthly retreat days. At the passing of a lovely woman named Guiselle with 23 years of life and 3 years of HIV, Peggy reflected: “I found this hard to swallow…It just can’t be right that some countries, some people, have access to the antiretroviral medicines that permit years more of normal lives, while others must prematurely bid goodbye to all they hold dear.” Our celebrant today Fr. Joseph Fedora has also been part of this pastoral/medical team for many years. Peggy continued to care for people with TB and began Health-Life and Hope, a parish solidarity group that helped members overcome isolation and despair. They look after each other with home visits, going to the market, washing clothes, cooking for one another, helping with house repairs, and even paying for hospital bills and medicines. Peggy reflected: “My heart was full, and somehow I knew I was close to God in the people, and there were signs of the kingdom coming.” She felt she witnessed John 10:10: “I have come that they may have life and life in abundance.”

In 2012, Peggy returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY as part of the Chi-Rho community. She loved volunteering at Neighbors Link in Ossining to teach English as a Second Language to Spanish speakers. Even as her own health declined over the years, she continued to befriend many of the staff and sisters present at the Center, continued to keep in heart and prayer many in Peru who are doing the same. Now together we say to you, our dear Sister Peggy:

“Go now in peace, faithful friend of God, as you take our love into paradise. God’s holy angels will lead you home to the wide waiting arms of the Lord.” (Dan Schutte, Song of Farewell)

We welcome members of Peggy’s family who are with us today.  We are grateful to have with us this morning Maryknoll Father Joseph Fedora who will celebrate the Liturgy of Christian Burial.