Remembering Sister Marie McKenna, SLW, PhD, LCSW, MPS

Remembering Sister Marie McKenna, SLW, PhD, LCSW, MPS

Sister Marie McKenna passed on to eternal joy with our Loving God on October 15th, at the young age of 72, after a long journey with cancer.

She was a proud daughter of her Irish father, James Henry McKenna and mother, Kathleen Eileen McNulty of Toronto, Canada. She is survived by her dear niece, Rachel McBurney and nephews, Joel, Ryan, and Mathew McKenna. She remained proud of being a Canadian, having been born in Toronto, and equally proud of her US citizenship years later.

She began her vocation with the Sisters of the Living Word, having taught at St. Gregory High School, Chicago and ministered as pastoral Minister at St. Simeon in Bellwood, IL. She was a Clinical Family Therapist at Catholic Charities, Chicago for over 20 years, while also maintaining a private practice.

Marie’s skills in counseling, envisioning with “out of the box” ideas, and her dedication to the common good through activism, concern for effective healthcare programs, and love for God’s creation melded into effective leadership for the Sisters of the Living Word. She shared her vision in two leadership terms, and unfortunately ending her second term early as the cancer curtailed her energy and abilities.

Marie loved to travel, be in touch with the natural world, her beloved dog, Liam, music, and especially her Irish heritage. Marie is already greatly missed by her colleagues in Social Services and Religious Leadership circles, her family, and her Sisters of the Living Word. May her Irish joy and love of God’s world, stay with us, and bless heaven too.

Marie’s funeral mass will be held on Monday, November 4th at 10:00am in Arlington Heights, IL. A link to attend the funeral mass virtually is included below. If you are interested in attending the funeral in person, please email awaldhauser@slw.org to receive the location details.