Sister Marie Bernadette Kelleher

Born in Philadelphia, Pa., Sister Marie Bernadette Kelleher entered the School Sisters of St. Francis from SS. Simon & Jude Parish in Bethlehem, Pa., in 1964, and professed first vows at Monocacy Manor, also in Bethlehem, a year later.

Sister remembers experiencing the first spark of her religious vocation in fourth grade, later solidified after attending a weekend retreat during her senior year in high school. She says she has always believed that God choose her to become a Sister of St. Francis.

“I experienced the Franciscan Sisters to be warm, caring, joy-filled, good listeners, very interested in each person, and simplicity personified,” she says. “They always taught with a love and enthusiasm in their work.”

Over three decades as an educator, Sister taught at parish grade schools in the Pennsylvania towns of Hellertown, Emmaus, Bethlehem, Stowe and West Lawn, as well as in the New Jersey communities of Guttenberg, Jersey City, and New Milford. In 1994, she returned to Monocacy Manor to work at St. Francis Day Care Center, to assist with hospitality at St. Francis Center for Renewal, and to offer clerical support.

As she looks back across the years, Sister Marie Bernadette considers the wisdom that, in hindsight, she would share with her younger self. “I would tell her, ‘Believe in yourself, discern well, trust in God and always be open to the mystery of self and others.’”

Today, Sister Marie Bernadette serves her religious community by maintaining correspondence with lay associates, alumnae and benefactors, whose generosity and thoughtfulness, she says, can never be taken for granted. But she considers prayer to be her most important ministry, as she continually challenges herself to live harmoniously, peacefully and with reverence for all life.

“My relationship with God has deepened immensely over my many years in our community,” Sister says. “It is ever so vital that God’s will remain central in my life, keeping my eyes fixed on Him daily.”