Karen “Ignatius” Coakley
Sister Karen Coakley, SNDdeN was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, to parents John and Josie (Murray) Coakley, and is a native of Chicopee, Massachusetts.
She attended public school until transportation became available for her to attend St. Patrick’s School for eighth grade. This also allowed her to study at Holy Name High School in Chicopee. Her father was very happy and enthusiastic about that possibility since he had studied with the Sisters of Notre Dame himself for his first eight years of school.
She entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1960, taking the name Sister Ignatius. She took her first vows in 1963 and perpetual vows in 1968.
For many years, Sister Karen’s main ministry was in secondary education in Connecticut. Now retired, she volunteers as a tutor at the Notre Dame Educational Bridge Center in Worcester, where she is a member of the SND community at Notre Dame du Lac.
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