Sister Mary Crescentia Markey, BVM 1855-1930

MARKEY

Posted By: CHERYL MOONEN (email)
Date: 4/14/2022 at 17:56:45

The Witness Dubuque Iowa Aug 07 1930

At Mount Carmel, shortly before the High Mass, customary on the First Friday, was sung in honor of the Sacred Heart, the Angel of Death summoned the waiting soul of a religious dear to her congregation because of sixty years of faithful and efficient service, Sister Mary Crescentia Markey.

Sister Mary Crescentia, Mary Markey, was born in Dubuque and attended the Cathedral school. After her graduation, though but a child of fourteen years, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on July 16, 1870. Endowed with a clear and vigorous mind, she used every possible opportunity to improve the gifts God had bestowed upon her and in time, received the Master's Degree from the Catholic University in Washington, DC. Her special province lay in the high school classes, and these she conducted with marked success in Missions of Muscatine and Iowa City. As local superior of St Mary's High School, this religious manifested her high ideals of the teaching profession and her zealous efforts in behalf of higher Catholic education. She was a student to the very soul and she was a successful teacher because she was as thorough in imparting knowledge as she was in acquiring it. On October 12, 1885, she was named superior and foundress of Holy Rosary School in Milwaukee and was a strong influence in its prosperous growth.

Among the works especially dear to this devoted religious was the field of religious classes. Many a period of her little free time was given to reading of Holy Scripture, especially the books of the Prophets and the New Testament. Not content with her ordinary sphere of activity, she sought to carry the good tidings of Christ's Gospel to places where sin and evil blinded souls to God's love and mercy – the Reform School in Chicago, the goals and the Sunday schools for children who received no Catholic training. Always at her hand was her well-loved copy of the Bible. To her it was a fount of grace and light in her work for others.

Sister Mary Crescentia was called to Mount Carmel to fill the responsible office of Secretary General in the congregation. With the greatest diligence and a loving solicitude, she was untiring in preserving traditions and keeping the annals of happenings and events so that future members might carry out the spirit of the Sisterhood. Her retentive memory and her ready use of the pen, combined with a straightforward, vigorous style, made her equal to all calls upon her official capacity for nearly twenty years of duty.

For sixty years Sister Mary Crescentia gave of her talent and her strength. Never rugged or physically strong, she was compelled to relinquish active duty about four years ago. Devoted to Mother Church with an intensity that sprang from her deep faith and her solid piety, she was ready to assist in whatever capacity she was able. To a disposition gracious, social and sincere, she united the spiritual traits of a true religious. In the congregation, her name will always be held in benediction.

Funeral services were held on Saturday and burial took place in Mount Carmel cemetery. The celebrant was the nephew of the deceased Sister, Mather Markey of Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Chicago. May she rest in the sweet peace of those who sleep in Christ.