St. Patrick and Sister Timothy
Sister Mary Timothy (L) with Noel Naughton (C), another native from Ireland, and a fellow sister on a St. Patrick’s Day celebration last year.
It’s no secret St. Patrick’s Day is a big deal in Chicago. With celebrations held the weekend before, festivities include much of what we’re used to seeing across social media and television to honor they city’s rich Irish history – from the river turning green, bar hopping, parades, dancing and more.
Chicago became one of the largest Irish cities in America by 1860 and its Irish heritage remains strong today. By the 1860’s Irish Catholics dominated Chicago – defying discrimination to build a deep ethnic identity that established parishes, schools, hospitals and charitable institutions that helped develop and grow the city.
While many took to the streets to celebrate that day, there was a particular Irish Catholic, who, as she does every day, took to the pews for daily mass and prayers – Sister Mary Timothy.
At 86 years old, Sister Mary Timothy scooters all around the campus of Little Sisters of the Poor in Palatine, Ill. Little Sisters of the Poor is an international congregation of Roman Catholic women who serve the neediest elderly of every race and religion in over 30 countries around the world. Sister Mary Timothy resides at the Home for the Aged on their campus in Palatine.
“I am from County Kerry in Ireland,” stated Sister Mary Timothy, who rolled into a room on the campus with a green book all about Saint Patrick, ready to share his story. “I came to the U.S. as a lay person with my sister.”
People often asked Sister Mary Timothy why she left Ireland. Her response?
“That I was looking for a good man,” joked Sister Mary Timothy. “But that wasn’t true. I left because I was looking for something in religious life to take care of the poor. One of the Mercy sisters told me to go to America and I would find something there, so I came!”
Sister Mary Timothy looked for about two years before finding Little Sisters of the Poor through a priest. At first she wasn’t sure if she liked it, but with time, she realized she couldn’t get it out of her mind, so she went back.
“I said to one of the Mother’s at the convent, ‘I’ll let you know if I’m going to enter’,” said Sister Mary Timothy. “Then, I went and talked to my sister, as she was the only one here [in the U.S.]. She didn’t want me to go because she was expecting a baby. So, I told her I would wait until the baby and then I was leaving.”
Four months after the baby, Sister Mary Timothy announced she was going. “And then she [my sister] announced she was expecting again,” laughed Sister Mary Timothy. “She went on to have eight kids!”
While her sister’s family expanded, Sister Mary Timothy’s life and commitment to her faith expanded too. After she entered the convent, she made her first vow two years later. At Little Sisters of the Poor, Sister Mary Timothy found herself in charge of the kitchen - cooking in Saint Louis for 19 years, Chicago for six years and in Palatine for 27 years.
In 2021, she celebrated 60 years of her final vows that have nurtured and grown communities through steadfast faith and love.
“Religious life is not popular,” said Sister Mary Timothy. “But you have to believe that the heavenly Father, Jesus and Mary are there. You have to believe and pray from your heart.”
Believing and praying from the heart was exactly what St. Patrick did when he was held captive for six years after being captured by pirates and sold into slavery at 16. While there are parts to St. Patrick’s history that are still a little unknown, what is known is that he brought many Irish people to God.
So, what better way to share more on St. Patrick than with Sister Mary Timothy herself?
In Sister Mary Timothy’s words:
St. Patrick was born in Scotland around 385 [fun fact, St. Patrick isn’t Irish!]. His parents were fairly rich. His father was Calporn, a Roman deacon, and the family was Christian.
In those days, pirates were coming from Ireland. They came and took St. Patrick as a slave to Ireland and he was there for six years.
He was purchased by Milcho [also known as Miliucc] – a local Christian in northwest Ireland who sent Patrick to get the sheep and swine. He beat Patrick up, he was a cruel man. He gave him nothing to eat. He had to eat what the sheep and swine ate. Patrick was very sad. When it was the winter, it was very cold and he didn’t have a lot of clothes.
After a while, Patrick started to pray to God. After six years, he heard the voice at night saying, ‘You have done well, so you’ll be free soon.’ After that, he heard another voice that said, ‘There is a boat waiting for you.’
He had to walk 200 miles to get to the boat, and he did it. And then a man who was on the ship told him, ‘We can’t take you’ after seeing Patrick in all his rags. But then another man on the boat said, ‘Come on with us, we’ll take you.’
They went on the boat for a while, but then they began to be hungry because they had nothing to eat. So they prayed to God they could get something, and then they were able to catch something and they had enough to eat. Then, they went home.
Patrick’s family was happy to see him at home, but he kept thinking about Ireland.
At a party one night, Patrick saw written on the wall, ‘Please come back to us holy man and bring us the faith.’ In Ireland, they didn’t practice anything.
So, Patrick decided to go and be a priest. He became a priest [at home] and then he wanted to go back to Ireland where they would go on and make him a Bishop.
Then, he asked the Holy Father if he could go to Ireland, but the Holy Father told him no, but then after a while he said yes because Patrick kept asking the Holy Father all the time.
Patrick’s mission was clear: Ireland was his apostolate. But, there were many obstacles and disappointments. His family objected and questioned his ability. They feared danger for him. And his best friend turned against him and denounced him.
It was Easter when he got into Ireland. Along the way, more people joined him and became Christian. One day, there was a festival where only the King could light the first bonfire. But, Patrick and his followers went and lit their own fire before the King. The King’s solider tried to extinguish Patrick’s fire but couldn’t.
The King was upset and told his men to not pay any respects to him. He became more upset when Patrick was going around talking about Christianity. The King wanted to kill Patrick, so he had all his men on the road to kill him. When Patrick started to walk toward them, the ground came up and swallowed them all.
Patrick would make the sign of the cross 150 times a day. When you make the way of the cross, you’re stopping the devil, so Patrick would say the devil was always after him, so he would make the way of the cross that many times a day.
Patrick’s faith and mission spread all over Ireland. Everyone wrote about him and also call Patrick the Saint of Scholars.
I really think it’s all true. Patrick was saved.
Editor’s note: While researching and refreshing my memory on St. Patrick and the special Irish history in Chicago, I came across a few articles that were very helpful in understanding the importance Irish history and St. Patrick. I encourage you to read from the experts (Sister Mary Timothy here already being one!) with these articles too – World History Encyclopedia – Saint Patrick, Catholic Saint Medals – St. Patrick, Who was St. Patrick?and Encyclopedia of Chicago – Irish.
Many thanks to Sister Mary Timothy, Little Sisters of the Poor and Melanie Ahern for helping make this story possible!