August 15, 1949–May 21, 2021
Ellen Ann Kieran was born in Boston, MA on August 15, 1949 to Edward Kieran and Avis Rydwell. She was the youngest, number five of five; Arlene, Marie, Stephen, Jean, and Ellen. The family lived in several states due to Mr. Kieran’s job with Greyhound.
By the time Ellen wrote to enter the Community she had been in the Junior MCA in Trenton, NJ for 6 years, attended a vocation week, the Summer School of Catholic Action at the Motherhouse in Philadelphia and had been to St. Joseph’s Shrine in Stirling. She gave credit to her sister Jean, and Sisters Rosa Mystica and Francis Louise for influencing her vocation.
Ellen entered at age 18 on September 3, 1967.
A recommendation from Hamilton High School’s Guidance Counselor said of Ellen, “Her conscientious and serious-minded approach to her responsibilities has enabled her to be successful. Ellen is mature in her outlook and forthright in her dealings with others. Though reserved and unassuming she can be relied upon to assume the initiative when the occasion arises. She is a young lady of unquestioned integrity.”
In March 1968 Ellen entered the Novitiate taking the name Sr. Ellen Kieran of Joy. She asked for the mystery joy as she had a special devotion to this virtue and thought it a virtue to have and bring to others joy. Ellen made first vows 1969 and Final Vows in 1975.
After Novitiate She was loaned to St Anthony’s Parish in Rochester NY for six months. The pastor Fr. Bennett wrote that she was able to make inroads in homes where the closed-door policy was observed. She won the hearts of many adults and youngsters to God.
When asked what type of ministry she preferred Ellen wrote that she found it impossible to come up with anything specific because of her limited experience but saw much value in home visiting and working with the family and she would like to be involved in that.
So, most of her ministries were in Catholic Social Services. She served in Jackson, MS, and Pensacola Fl. As a result of studies at several colleges she earned her BSW in Pensacola. Then she went to Philadelphia, PA, spent some time in Graduate School at Rutgers University, Dr. White, Gold Street, Brooklyn, was Director of Maternity & Adoptions in Metuchen, NJ, Director at CSS IN Montgomery, AL and Director of CSS, Pensacola, FL.
In 2002 – 2003, Ellen went on sabbatical spending 3 months in Ireland at the Marianella Center, 10 weeks at a mountain top hermitage in West Virginia in the dead of winter, attended a conference with the Humor project and ended with a retreat at San Alfonso on the Jersey shore. The sabbatical was a great time of renewal for Ellen.
In 2003 Ellen was missioned to Visitation Transitional Housing as Program Coordinator. Ellen valued and enjoyed the ministry at Visitation. It fit with her desire to work with families and her beliefs around our charism.
Ellen had a health scare while on vacation with her sister in June 2006. She collapsed and was hospitalized in Yale/New Haven, Hospital with Bi-lateral pneumonia and Afib. Fortunately, she recovered and returned to ministry and community.
Throughout the years Ellen often noted the need for us to focus our resources on places where we can concentrate on serving the abandoned, developing the laity and preserving the faith.
So just when she was doing that and experiencing joy in her ministry, she was elected to the General Council in 2008.
Ellen was very responsible, prudent, and persistent in her ministry on the General Council. She was the General Secretary for two terms and that is a very demanding role. For many months after completing her second term on the Council, Ellen continued working to make sure documents and records were completed.
After taking some a couple of months off, Ellen generously agreed to be assistant to Sr. Terry in the Archives, to be a member of the HNJ Board and she was looking at a couple of ministry opportunities with working with families, but her health intruded with her desire to serve.
Ellen was certainly an introvert who needed space to re-energize, but when you needed her attention, you could rely on her full focus and good advice. She was an avid reader and enjoyed keeping up with the news through the Inquirer and as many magazines as she could get her hands on. She unfortunately lost her lip for playing the trumpet, but she kept up her skills in doing magic and juggling. She had the gift of a sense of humor which brought her through many challenges. She was very fond of the ocean and greatly enjoyed time she was able to spend in Ireland.
At the 2008 General Chapter Ellen was invited to give a reflection after communion. She shared on her experience in a West Virginia hermitage where she had to depend on a fire in a wood stove to provide heat during the winter in West Virginia. The flame became a symbol of Jesus. “I have reflected since then that after Pentecost the Apostles spread the flame Jesus, from place to place to place. In each place they set ordinary people, people of God, laity, on fire and they spread the fire to others.”
Fr. Judge in his time set ordinary people on fire and formed them to be missionaries to spread the fire and meet the needs of the day.
Today it’s still true that it’s the Laity, the people of God, who become inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Laity who understand and believe that “nothing but fire kindles fire”.