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Sister Rosemary Connelly, Longtime Leader of Misericordia, Dies at 94
Sister Rosemary Connelly, who grew and led the Misericordia Heart of Mercy, which has served thousands of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, died late last week at age 94.
Connelly, who served as Misericordia’s administrator for more than 50 years and propelled the institution into one of the nation’s most prominent communities for people with disabilities, died peacefully at her home.
Over those decades, Connelly guided the organization through “enormous growth, touching and ultimately changing the lives of thousands of children, families and supporters in the process,” officials said.
“She was a champion for our residents and taught others to follow in her footsteps,” Misericordia officials said in a social media post announcing Connelly’s death. “From the moment she walked into the doors of Misericordia in 1969, Sister Rosemary created a life of dignity and respect for the community we are so privileged to serve - creating programs and opportunities that she would so often say offered, ‘a right to life and to one worth living.’”
A Chicago native, Connelly joined the Sisters of Mercy when she was 18. When she was later appointed as Misericordia’s first administrator, services for children with disabilities were lacking, according to her obituary, so she began numerous programs designed to “help the children achieve the highest level of independence possible.”
Misericordia now serves more than 600 children and adults.
“She was a visionary,” her obituary states, “who devoted her life to the community that has become the Misericordia of today — a loving and caring environment that provides a full continuum of care and life-enriching programs for individuals from diverse racial, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds with a wide range of abilities.”
In 2023, Connelly was awarded Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, which the university has called the most prestigious award given to any American Catholic. In receiving that honor, Lois Gates, executive director of the Misericordia Foundation, called Connelly “strong and she’s compassionate, but at the same time, she’s determined, she’s driven and at times defiant.”
“She knew that she wanted the best independent possible life she could give to these wonderful individuals,” Gates said in a video celebrating Connelly’s award. “And she was called to serve, and she made it happen.”
Connelly was interviewed by “Chicago Tonight” in 2009 as she marked her 40th year at Misericordia.
“The overall goal would be to create an environment that every single person, every child, every adult, no matter how disabled they are, would feel loved, and respected, and challenged and know that whatever they can accomplish is what will be and can be,” she said of the organization’s mission.
A visitation is scheduled Monday, from 1-8 p.m. at Misericordia Home, located at 6300 North Ridge Ave. Connelly’s funeral mass will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 North State St.
