Dominican Sister of Peace Mary Brennan, (81) of Brooklyn, NY, passed away peacefully at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn on July 6, 2023.
Mary was born to Patrick and Mary (Buckley) Brennan in 1935. She entered the Dominican Sisters of Peace at the St. Catharine Motherhouse in Springfield, KY, in 1958, and made final profession in 1960.
Sr. Mary earned a Bachelor of Arts in Math and Spanish from Siena College, a Master of Arts in Reading and Elementary Education, a Master of Science S in Administration, and a Master of Art in Theology.
Sr. Mary made caring for her community and society her life’s work, ministering as a teacher in Illinois, Nebraska, and New York and then worked as an Administrative Assistant and an accounting clerk. Mary then joined the Congregational Finance Office in St. Catharine, KY, where she had a deep appreciation for the land and its legacy. Her final ministry was spent serving the elderly, poor and marginalized in Brooklyn, NY, as a Social Service Case Manager for Catholic Charities and as a Social Work Supervisor for the homebound elderly.
In an interview, Sr Mary once said, “Knowing the impact that we, as religious, have had on social justice issues encourages me to continue to work for causes that are important to society.”
In her preaching at the funeral, Sr. Lois McGovern said: “What you see is what you get. And you may or may not always be prepared for it. But that was the kind of friend she was. A person of few words…and what you got was something special.”
Mary Brennan was preceded in death by her parents, Patrick and Mary and by her sister, Patricia Buhse. She is survived by her beloved nephews, John, Kevin and Phillip Buhse, her Godmother and cousin Kathleen Brady, many cousins and friends, and her Community at St. Catharine and the Dominican Sisters of Peace.
The Funeral Mass and internment took place at the Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse in St. Catharine, KY, on Wednesday, July 19 and Thursday, July 20, 10:30 am.
A special memorial service will be held for her many local family and friends at the office of Catholic Charities in Brooklyn. She will be remembered especially there for her loving kindness, and the impact she made on the many that she served.
Memorial gifts in Sr. Mary Brennan’s memory may be submitted securely online or sent to the Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Dr, Columbus, OH 43219.
To download a printable copy of this memorial, click here.