Life Story of Sr. Anna Feeney

Margaret Gilroy was born in county Sligo, Ireland, March 25, 1863. Her father was Thomas Gilroy. Her mother's maiden name was Nora Hart. At the early age of eighteen, Margaret came to America, and to Davenport. September 30, 1885, she was married to James Feeney, in St. Anne's Church, Long Grove, the ceremony being performed by Father Thomas Smith. Two children were born to her, - Thomas who died in 1912, and a daughter, May, now Mrs. Charles Skelly. James Feeney died in 1908. His widow held, for a time, the position of housekeeper to Mr. Sears, a prominent Davenport banker. With all her duties, she did not cease to be active in practical labors for the Church, and was an officer and a zealous worker in the Altar Society of the Cathedral.

She soon became interested in the little Community of Carmelites who had come to Davenport in 1911; and she used to speak of the thrill of joy which she had felt at the first sound of the voice which greeted her at the “turn.” She formed the desire of entering Carmel; but many obstacles stood in the way. After the Community moved to Bettendorf, it was agreed that she might come to them, remaining outside the Cloister to attend to the work of an Extern. She wished very much to receive the Habit; but for a long time it seemed that this was not to be allowed. At last, however, she won the day, and secured the Bishop's permission, herself. On Dec. 10, 1919, she was received as Sister Anna of the Blessed Sacrament. On the Feast of Corpus Christi (May 26, 1921) she took the Carmelite Vows of Profession. On August 24, 1924, she made her final Profession, taking the Vows of the Third Order in the presence of Rev. Father Donohue of Davenport, who represented the Bishop.

Her health had been failing for some time, although she continued to attend to her various tasks as “out-sister,” and as caretaker of the chapel. At different times she had alarming heat attacks, from which, however, she quickly recovered. On Shrove Tuesday, 1925, she was stricken with the illness which proved to be her last. She was suffering from a form of Bright's disease. She remained under treatment for some weeks in the Mercy Hospital, Davenport; but finally, to her great joy, she was able to return to Carmel. She was obliged to spend much of her time in the Infirmary; and this was a great trial to her naturally active nature. In the hope that she might improve in health at the home of her sister, Mrs. McHugh of Davenport, she went there and was to return to Carmel of the first of July. But on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, June 19, she was stricken with paralysis. She was able to maker her Confession, but later lapsed into unconsciousness. About 9:30, on the night of Sunday, June 21, she died. Her body was taken first to the Ruhl funeral home. About noon on Wednesday, it was brought to Carmel, and placed before the Altar in the Chapel she had loved and cared for. During the afternoon, and all through the night, the Nuns in turns watched and prayed in the choir.

At nine O'clock on the morning of June 25, the Priest who had presided at the ceremony of her Final Profession (Rev. Father Donohue) was Celebrant of her Solemn Requiem. Rev. Stephen Davis of Bettendorf was Deacon; and Rev. John Glenn of Williamsburg, Subdeacon. The Religious of the Monastery chanted the Mass: and the beautiful vocal and organ selections were rendered by friends from Davenport. The body was interred in her family lot in Saint Margaret's cemetery.

These, very briefly, are facts in her life. It would take the pen of a word artist to picture Sister Anna as she was, - the Sister Anna who was a familiar figure in Davenport and Bettendorf, - active, earnest, much –occupied, yet having time for many a cheerful word as she went about her errands in town and village.

In America, when we speak of a “homely” person, we mean one who is lacking in physical beauty. In England, the word means “home-like.” In either sense, it might be applied to Sister Anna. She was about medium height, and rather heavy-set. Her features were large. Yet her plain face could glow with a kindly expression, or light up immediately. Many a friend of Carmel will feel that something is missing, since Sister Anna is no longer at the door to great the visitors with her hearty Celtic welcome.

In some respects, she was typically Irish. She had the quick sympathies, the tender-heartedness of her race. It must be confessed that she had it sensitiveness, too, - and this occasionally made difficulties for herself and others. She was fond of a joke; and her very hearty laugh well repaid the the telling of an anecdote.

One unpublished incident in the life of the Community amused her greatly. It was a time of special devotions; and a very dignified and learned Priest was conducting the exercises. A pair of scapulars, somewhat the worse for wear to which were attached some medals which had also been long worn, was found. It was immediately concluded that the articles could belong to no one but the Priest, to whom they must be returned. But they first had to pass through a process of renovation which seemed to require the united efforts of several of the Community. At last, after much polishing and washing, and not a few dainty stitches the beautified articles were ready; and Sister Anna, on receiving the commission to return them to their owner, recognized them as her own property. She enjoyed the incident all the more when she learned that the Sister-Sacristan acknowledged that she had venerated the medals as the property of a Saint!

But, in spite of her love of fun, our Sister could also suffer very deeply. Her only son, Thomas had died in 1912, leaving a widow and two small children. The widow, who had entered the Church at the time of the marriage, fell away, and married a non-Catholic. Sister Anna had the grief of knowing that her two little granddaughters were not being brought up a Catholics. Her love for her son had been very great. On one occasion, when she had lost a watch, she mourned over the loss, not so much for the sake of the watch, as because it had contained a picture of her boy. We may imagine her sorrow, then, at the thought that his little ones were being defrauded of their birthright of faith.

She was touched by kindnesses shown her. For instance, she loved to tell of the prayers and sacrifices which the little children of the Bettendorf Parish School offered for her recovery. She especially appreciated the fact that many of them had come fasting to the village on school days, that they might be able to receive Holy Communion for her. She gave their little notes of sympathy to Rev. Mother, to read to the Community at recreation: and it was easy to see from the quaint little letters that she loved the children and they loved her.

Dear old Sister Anna! In many ways she was a child herself. We can hear her yet, as she sang her Christmas song to the Infant Jesus. We quote the song, from her own Mss., just as she wrote it:

"Gloria in excelsis Deo"

"My dear little Jeus come to me as the fruitfull wine of which the trunk for me is the Bread of life. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Jesus come to me as the fruitful wine. Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Jesus will supply all my needs

He will give me all I want

He will give me Himself

He is the fruitfull wine

Gloria in excelsis Deo

In him I trust in him I Hope in him I wish to live and die

Jesus Jesus may I love you

With my whole Heart may my

life be full of virtues

from the fruitfull wine

Gloria in excelsis Deo

May I learn from our

Dear Mother to love Jesus

and to be to him a faithful

Spouse and he will be my

fruitful wine"

Gloria in excelsis Deo

When Sister sang it, her refrain was "Gloria in Exselsis Deus." But her spirit was one of genuine faith and simple joy: and the angels must have heard an echo of their strain.

Speaking of her simplicity recalls an incident of her early days at Carmel. The Community were drawing the names of Saints for the year; and according to custom, a Patron and a Patroness were drawn for Sister Anna. She wondered why she should have two Saints, then decided that one could take her petitions up to Heaven, and the other could bring back the answers.

The little notes which were sent out to her on Feast-days pleased her greatly. When in turn, she had to write notes to the Sisters, she labored diligently over the task. She had very little education. Her spelling and penmanship left much to be desired. But she was very earnest in observing the little Carmelite custom. She had a fondness for Scriptural quotations; and her choice sometimes caused amusement, -- as when she wrote to a newly received Novice: "I send you as a sheep among wolves."

We quote an extract from a letter to her Reverend Cousin as an example of her earnest style: "On the morning 1921, the supreme day of my life of that day all my Desires will be fulfilled and I shall become the Bride of Christ. Will you Dear cousin and Father offer the Holy sacrifice for your Carmelite and then give her to god so that she may be entirely possessed by Him."

The Father who preached her funeral sermon (Father Donohoe, a Priest who had known her for many years), emphasized a striking trait in her character - her strong, loyal faith. No matter what her trials, said the Priest, her religion was her consolation; and she felt the necessity of being true to it. This generous Celtic faith inspired another virtue which the speaker pointed out. She took delight in being kind to Priests. In her work for the Church during her secular days, as well as during her Religious life, she had the opportunity of meeting many of the ministers of the Church. She was interested in them, and she wished to help them. Many of the Clergy of the diocese, and clerical visitors to the Monastery, will recall pleasant memories of her kindly, whole souled charity and zeal.

Another point in her character (spoken of by Father Donohoe), was her love of prayer, As another Father had said in her Profession sermon, even before her entrance into Carmel, she might have been called "Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament." She loved to take time for prayer, even from her busy day in the world, and as Father Donohoe recalled, she would spend half-hours in silent prayer before the Tabernacle. She was not one of those souls, said the Reverend Father, who suffer from aridities in their devotions. Prayer was always her consolation and delight. She was particularly devoted to our Eucharistic Lord. On one occasion, when a Sister was speaking of appealling to particular Saints, Sister Anna said simply that she took her petitions to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. She greatly appreciated the song which one of the Community wrote on the occasion of her first Profession:

Holy Profession Song

Sister Anna of the Blessed Sacrament, Corpus Christi, 1921

Let us praise the King of Angels,

On His mystic feast of Love;

Let us join our happy voices,

To the wonderous songs above.

And our glad felicitations,

Sister dear, to you we bring;

For your soul today is chosen

By the Eucharistic King!

Like Anna of the Temple,

You are called with Him to stay,

Never leaving His sweet Presence, -

Ever serving, night and day.

By the Vows that you have spoken,

He your willing heart will hold;

He has bound it fast forever,

With His triple chain of gold.

He will keep your thoughts as holy

As His altar lilies white:

He will keep your love as ardent

As the tapers gleaming bright.

As you serve your hidden Saviour

Amid Carmel's holy peace,

Pray that human hearts may love Him,

That His Kingdom may increase,

Till from every clime and nation

This unceasing song may ring:

"Glory, honor, benediction,

To the Eucharistic King!"

How lovingly He must have looked from His Altar-throne on the humble Religious as she went about her tasks of caring for His temple: - cleaning the chapel, arranging the Altar, attending to the candles, the flowers! And when at last she lay at rest before the Altar. The Priest who knew so much of the story of her life, took as the text of her funeral sermon, words which strike the keynote of her character: "I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of Thy house; and the place where Thy glory dwelleth."

A Redemptorist Father, who had long been a kind and sympathetic friend to Sr. Anna, wrote to our Reverend Mother: "My one regret is that she did not pass to her reward in Carmel, surrounded by the good Sisters. Her one desire was to die in the convent home to die in the sweet embrace of Carmel. Well, God managed things His own ways, and I am satisfied."

When the little crosses were distributed on Palm Sunday, according to custom, the sentence on Sister Anna's was: "Jesus dies on the cross in great abandonment." Was this a foreshadowing of her own death, away from Carmel? For, although she was attended by a devoted Priest, and surrounded by the attentions of loving relatives, we are confident that our Sister would have wished to die with her Carmelite family around her.

The Reverend Father said further: "Be sure to offer many prayers for the repose of her soul. She had faults, but strove manfully to overcome these. I feel certain that her Purgatory will be short, and that she will soon see the Face of her Celestial Spouse, Whom she certainly tried to serve so well. Her reward will be great; for her soul was that of a saint."

+ Edward D. Howard.................

Bishop Auxiliary of Davenport...

October 1, 1929...........................+ Henry P. Roheman..................

Bishop of Davenport...............