Sister Virgeen Healey, MM
Born: June 27, 1924
Entered: September 6, 1944
Died: November 5, 2023
On this day, November 5, 2023, our dear Sister Virgeen Healey is herself one of the refugees for whom she prayed daily at our community mass – but she is a refugee with a home in the arms of God. Sr. Virgeen was 99 years old and a Maryknoll Sister for 79 years.
Mary Virgeen Healey was the daughter of Edward and Laura (Brock) Healey; she had three siblings, Edward, Doris, and Richard, all of whom have pre-deceased her. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri and attended Harrison Grammar School and St. Mark’s High School from which she graduated on June 6, 1943. She entered the Maryknoll Sisters on September 6, 1944 in Maryknoll, New York – when she was asked about the $250 that she needed to bring with her in those days she replied: “I’ve only saved $200 in the last year. It’s too bad God did not make me Scotch instead of Irish” – the humor we have come to treasure. She made her First Vows at Maryknoll, New York on March 7, 1947. After her vows, Virgeen worked in the seminary kitchen and helped out teaching catechism classes in Carmel, New York; even then, she showed her immense gifts for this work of children’s catechesis. From the Maryknoll Sisters Center, she was sent in 1949 to California, doing catechetical work in parishes both in Guadalupe, California from 1949-1952, and then in Stockton until 1960. While teaching, she earned a certificate in religious education from Catholic University at their San Rafael, California campus in 1958.
In 1960, Virgeen was missioned to the Philippines and this is the time when her lifelong love of the country and its people took root. Her first assignment was to St. James Academy in Malabon, Rizal, 1960-1964, and the students loved her – one kindergartener saying on his first day that he “just wanted to go home with my Mom until I saw the face of Sr. Virgeen.” Her next stop was in Lupon, Davao del Norte, one of the first group of sisters assigned to St. Patrick’s High School. Fr. Jim Ferry, M.M. recalls: “Virgeen was very active with all the people in the parish – she was an excellent missioner, and the people loved her. And years after she had left Lupon, people still remembered her for her joy and gratitude.” This was a refrain that was heard loud and clear wherever Virgeen was in mission. Virgeen was assigned to Cateel in 1966 where she spent the next ten years doing pastoral and catechetical work throughout the area. Sr. Loretta Harriman remembers: “She loved it there and was well-loved by the people…She would use a motor bike to get to all the far flung barrios in the Cateel parish. There was not a place in that undeveloped area she was not willing to go”. How like Virgeen! During this time, she had a two-year break back at Maryknoll to get her Bachelor of Arts degree in Community Service at Mary Rogers College in 1972.
From 1976-1983, Virgeen was assigned to Novatos, Metro Manila, where she worked with and later served as Director of the Philippine Agency for Community and Family (PACAF), which served marginated people, and as Virgeen wrote, “the people working so hard to earn a living.” The agency loaned money to many struggling families for sewing machines and supported many other income-generating projects. And she said: “I’ve learned much this past year and made many new friends.”
Virgeen returned in 1990 to Davao which held a special place in her heart after four years in Congregational Service, doing mission awareness, promotion, hospitality and a term on the Center Council, 1985-1988. In this time at the Center, Virgeen received a Master of Arts from the Maryknoll School of Theology. On her return, she taught from 1990-1991 at Notre Dame School in Cotabato, and then was fully engaged in the Davao branch of PACAF which she started and then served as Program Coordinator until 2007. She served at various times with the Apostleship of the Sea in collaboration with Fr. Jack Walsh, M.M. with the Philippine family association, and she started a new service for and with squatter families. In the year 2000, Virgeen was awarded the Datu Bago Award for being “a champion of the poor who contributed to end the poverty cycle among 54 low-income communities throughout the area of Davao City.”
In 2008, Virgeen returned to the Center. She responded quickly to the request of the Leadership Team for sisters to reside in Chicago, Illinois with the sisters in formation. Because of ill health, this was only for a six-month period, but her life and spirit permeated the Chicago house with her special joy. Virgeen then worked with the Mission Awareness Promotion Team renewing her contract annually from 2008-2013. She was a promoter in every fiber of her being – giving talks, relating to donors, calling and encouraging sponsors, responding into their requests for prayer and walking with them in their sorrows and joys – much as she did in all those years in the Philippines.
When Virgeen’s health indicated that, she moved to Maryknoll Sisters’ Home Care in 2021, she embraced another phase of her mission life. Here she was well cared for by aides and nurses, until her death on November 5, 2023.
We are happy to share this occasion of celebrating Virgeen’s fullness of life with her nieces and nephews: Mark, Steve, Glenn, Laurel, Virgeen and Gail. Also present were former students, Vicky Cleveland and her daughter, Christine; and Mildred and Pete.
We welcome Fr. Edward Shellito, MM, a fellow missioner, who will preside at this Mass of Christian burial.