LINK TO MEMORIAL MASS/RECORDING
December 31, 1939 - December 7, 2024
“We exist only for the poor, only for the poor, absolutely only for the poor.”
(Letter 86, Saint Julie Billiart, Foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur)
Rosemary Patricia Murphy was the sixth child and fourth daughter born to a large Irish-Catholic family in Chicago, IL. Both her father (one of seven siblings) and her mother (one of fourteen siblings) were also born in Chicago so besides a nuclear family of nine, Rosemary grew up surrounded by a large extended family. This included a cousin, Betty DeBerry, who the Murphy’s raised as their daughter. The Murphy’s lived in St. Peter Canisius Parish where the children attended the parish school which was staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She subsequently attended Notre Dame High School, also staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame.
Rosemary decided early that she wanted to be a teacher, and she wanted to enter religious life. Described as a ‘practical Catholic who’s been considering religious life for some time’ by her pastor and encouraged by her teachers, Rosemary submitted her application to enter the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in February of her senior year. Her parents were supportive of her decision, and accompanied her to Mount Notre Dame, Reading, OH, where she entered the community on September 7, 1957.
Rosemary joined 24 other women entering the community, 11 of whom were also from Chicago. She received the name Sister Mary Bridget as a novice and was known by that name for the rest of her life. With her peers, she prepared for the ministry of teaching. Theirs was the first group that had the opportunity to complete their first degrees before being sent out to teach. Mary Bridget’s first mission was to St. Victor School in Calumet City, IL. She taught fifth and sixth graders, some of whom struggled with reading. Mary Bridget was grateful to another Sister of Notre Dame who served as a Reading Supervisor for the Archdiocese of Chicago, who taught her skills to help her students succeed.
After four years at St. Victor, Mary Bridget was missioned to Our Lady of the Rosary in Dayton, OH, and then to St Agnes in Columbus, OH, teaching fourth grade, where she also completed her MA in Education at Ohio State University.
In 1972, Mary Bridget began to serve as Clinical Reading Instructor at both St. Peter Canisius and St. Robert Bellarmine Schools in Chicago, both of which were staffed by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She supervised the teachers in the area of reading, teaching them skills to help them help their students. She also worked with students who needed extra help. It was work she loved. In 1975, Mary Bridget was asked to serve as Principal of St. Robert Bellarmine. She happily served in this capacity for six years.
The Sisters selected a new Leadership Team for the Ohio Province in 1981 and Mary Bridget was asked to serve as part of it. She was also asked to serve concurrently as the local moderator of the large Rich Street community in Columbus, OH. Mary Bridget balanced both positions for four years before asking to be replaced at Rich Street. She felt her role on the Team took time away from the Sisters. Mary Bridget moved to Cincinnati, continuing on the Team and serving as part time teacher and Assistant Principal at Mount Notre Dame High School. As Assistant Principal, she served as Dean of Students, supervised teachers and worked collaboratively with the Principal and Director of Development in administrative tasks, as well as teaching.
Mary Bridget could have continued at Mount Notre Dame High School, but felt drawn to ministering in a more urban, diversified setting. She had always resonated strongly with Saint Julie’s words regarding Notre Dame’s mission to serve the economically disadvantaged. In 1987, she applied for the position of Principal at Notre Dame High School, Chicago, IL. Mary Bridget assumed the helm at a vulnerable time for the high school. Enrollment was decreasing and becoming more diverse ethnically and religiously. There were fewer Sisters on staff, and there were increased costs, which meant more students were in need of tuition assistance. She spent the remainder of her professional life ministering to the school and its alumnae.
Mary Bridget was known throughout Chicago as a strong advocate for Catholic Education and equally strong advocate for the single-sex schools. In 1993 the Board of Trustees appointed Mary Bridget President of Notre Dame High School for Girls. She was known for her deep work ethic, attention to detail, mentoring skills and dedication to the school and to its mission.
The Annual Cook County Unsung Heroines Awards Breakfast honored Mary Bridget’s work at Notre Dame High School in 1999 saying:
As the president of one of the Chicago Archdiocese’ most racially and economically mixed women’s high schools, Sister Mary Bridget Murphy has worked tirelessly with the community residents to ensure the economic and educational viability of her students’ school…. She has overseen the school’s re-accreditation, developed a board of directors, restructured the administration, installed staff development programs in cultural understanding and religious values, and developed fund-raising strategies that help offset tuition costs for more than half of the school’s students. These initiatives have helped the school…move towards the 21st century…”
In 2003 Mary Bridget transitioned to the role of President Emeritus which meant she continued to be the face, name and voice of the school and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur while serving as the bridge to alumnae. Her presence to the alumnae in happy times and sad times was immeasurably valuable. She faithfully attended numerous wakes and funerals of alumnae and their families. She also worked in the financial aid office to help make it possible for hundreds of students to receive their education at Notre Dame High School. As the demographics of the neighborhood continued to change and enrollment fell, Mary Bridget helped find new uses for unused classrooms at Notre Dame High School. This included a bi-lingual high school for adults that opened in an empty classroom in 2004. When Sister Dorothy Stang SNDdeN was martyred in 2005, the school named itself The Dorothy Stang Adult High School. In 2015 the school recognized Mary Bridget for her support of their educational mission. She had served as a board member for the all-volunteer staffed school since its beginning. By 2015 it had graduated 275 recent immigrant students.
In 2009 the Board of Notre Dame High School and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur made the decision to close the school at the Mango Avenue campus. The Archdiocese of Chicago continued the school for a time at another site. The school closed permanently in 2016.
In 2010, Mary Bridget accepted the invitation of the Development Office of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur to continue her contact with Notre Dame High School Alumnae in Chicago, and in 2016, in Cincinnati. She kept in touch through phone calls, letters and cards, especially at times of loss or when special prayers were needed by members of the alumnae and their families. This outreach remained dear to her heart.
Mary Bridget brought the same skills and commitment to her life in community as to her ministries. She was an active member of the Ohio Province, serving on the Assembly, Finance Committee, Justice and Peace and Government Commissions as well as on the Ohio Province Leadership Team. She developed life-long friendships with her sisters, and to it all she brought her Irish sense of humor and love of fun. Her friends describe her as a teacher who had eyes on the back of her head, a competitive scrabble player out to win, a hard worker, a lover of all things “Chicago.” She had great devotion to Our Lady.
Her family always held an important place in her life. She was grateful her years in Chicago allowed her to nourish those relationships and to be present to family members during times of illness and death. Mary Bridget was simply “Aunt Rosie” to her numerous nieces, nephews and their children. She loved them all and they loved her. She was the “matriarch” of her family. Words cannot express how much their phone calls, notes, and frequent visits to Mt. Notre Dame after she moved to Ohio meant to her.
As Mary Bridget’s family, Sisters, friends and so many others gather to celebrate her life, we are thankful that her suffering is over. We are grateful for the gift of God’s goodness she has been to all of us.
BIO DATA:
- Born December 31, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois
- Parents: Joseph L. Murphy (born in Chicago, Illinois) and Bridget King (born in Chicago, Illinois)
- Siblings: Helen Murphy Krepelka, Joseph Murphy, Edward Murphy, Anna May Downing, Grace Mary Murphy (died at birth), and Richard Murphy
- Baptized January 21, 1940 at St. Peter Canisius Church, Chicago, Illinois
- Confirmed October 5, 1949 at St. Peter Canisius Church, Chicago, Illinois
- Entered September 7, 1957 at Mount Notre Dame
- First Profession: March 12, 1960; Final Profession: August 13, 1965
Education:
- Notre Dame High School, Chicago, Illinois, 1957
- Bachelor of Science in Education from Our Lady of Cincinnati College, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1963
- Master of Arts in Education from Ohio State University, 1972
Assignments Included:
- 1962-1966 St. Victor Parish School, Calumet City, Illinois
- 1966-1967 Our Lady of the Rosary Parish School, Dayton, Ohio
- 1967-1971 St. Agnes Parish School, Columbus, Ohio
- 1971-1972 Student – Ohio State University
- 1972-1975 Clinical Reading Instructor, St. Peter Canisius & St. Robert Bellarmine Schools, Chicago, Illinois
- 1975-1981 St. Robert Bellarmine School, Chicago, Illinois
- 1981-1985 Notre Dame Convent, Rich Street, Columbus, Ohio
- 1981-1988 Province Leadership Team, Ohio Unit, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Reading, Ohio
- 1985-1987 Mount Notre Dame High School, Reading, Ohio
- 1987-2009 Notre Dame High School, Chicago, Illinois
- 2009-2010 Sabbatical
- 2010-2016 Adjunct Development Staff for Notre Dame High School Alumnae Relations, Chicago, Illinois
- 2016-2022 Adjunct Development Staff for Notre Dame High School Alumnae Relations, Reading, Ohio
- 2022-2024 Ministry of Prayer, Mount Notre Dame Health Center, Reading, Ohio
Died: December 7, 2024
Sister Kim Dalgarn, SNDdeN
Sister Colette Didier, SNDdeN
December 10, 2024