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“It’s a long way to Tipperary. It’s a long way to Tipperary.” 

It was also a long way for Mary Coman, now known as Sister Mary Kathleen Coman, PBVM, to leave Tipperary and venture to America.
On April 22, Sister Mary Kathleen will mark a milestone birthday of 100 years old. Full of life, love and Irish wit, close friends and family recall Sister Mary Kathleen’s life of prayer and worship.

MARY COMAN
Sister Mary Kathleen’s parents were William Coman and Catherine Fahy. She had two brothers, William and Dennis, and two sisters, Ann who was known as Nan, and Catherine, who was known as Kitty. All of her siblings have gone to God. Kitty, who lived in Greenwich, was the last to join her family in heaven. Sister Mary Kathleen also has a few nieces and nephews. She calls her nephew, Liam, in Ireland once a week and sometimes his sister, Mary.

Sister Mary Kathleen was born in Cashel, Ireland and received the sacraments in her parish church in Clonoulty. Sister left the town of Cobh for America. She would have got a tender out to the liner in the harbor. This was also the final port of call for the ill-fated Titanic.
Sister Mary Kathleen arrived at Ellis Island in New York Harbor in 1957. Her friend, Mary Flannigan, and her brother took her into their house. She arrived in Loudonville the next day to begin her new job as a cook and housekeeper for a family. She worked there for two years before entering the Sisters of the Presentation at St. Colman’s Home in Watervliet.

The Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary were founded in Ireland in 1775 by Nano Nagle. They came to Watervliet in 1881 to establish St. Colman’s Home for Children to keep families together. Since then, the sisters have cared for the spiritual and social development of children.

The life of a Presentation Sister is both contemplative and active with a daily prayer schedule, habit, convent living and fidelity to the pope and magisterial teaching.

SISTERS OF THE PRESENTATION
In 1959, Mary Coman and two other women — including her Reverend Mother Mary Louise Kane, PBVM, current Major Superior — entered St. Colman’s Convent. Sister Mary Kathleen’s religious life began as a postulant for six months and then she received the Holy Habit and her religious name. During these formative years in religious life, Sister Mary Kathleen had many opportunities to learn the works of the Sisters of the Presentation and the charism of our founder Mother Nano Nagle. She made her final profession on June 29, 1965. At this time Sister Mary Kathleen promised vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and the instruction of poor children for life.

Soon after final profession, Sister Mary Kathleen went to Masterson Day Nursery in Albany. She worked as a cook, worked with pre-K students and welcomed the after-school students from St. Anthony’s School.

After Masterson Day Nursery, Sister Mary Kathleen spent most of her religious life at Cobb Memorial School in Altamont. Cobb Memorial was a school for severely-handicapped children.  Besides being a cook, she also worked with the children. She taught them self-help skills such as dressing themselves, brushing their teeth, combing their hair and bathing skills. She would take the children to the playground on the property and then for a walk around the grounds. Sister Mary Kathleen loved to walk and managed to walk to High Point in the Helderberg Mountains.

When Cobb closed, Sister Mary Kathleen returned to St. Colman’s and lived with the sisters carrying on the Presentation spirit. Her spiritual life was at the top of her list of duties and she could often be found in the chapel where she was sacristan, saying her prayers. The rosary is her favorite prayer and she says about six rosaries a day. If we need some special intention, we go to Sister Mary Kathleen.

Sister Mary Kathleen has a quick Irish wit and one could listen to her stories of Ireland for hours. She used to do a lot of crocheting in her early days in the convent. May God continue to bless Sister Mary Kathleen with good health so she can continue to serve Him whom she loves.

If anyone would like to send Sister Mary Kathleen a birthday card, cards can be sent to St. Colman’s Convent, 11 Haswell Road, Watervliet, N.Y., 12189

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