Marie St. Barbara Connolly

“I praise God for his Goodness to me in the people I have met on my SND journey, as well as my family and friends.  Unconsciously, my heart is touched by the pain, sorrow, and joy that have been shared with me. God’s Goodness is so evident in these people.” 

– Sister Marie St. Barbara, on her 80th Jubilee in 2026

Sister Marie St. Barbara Connolly, SNDdeN was born into a large Irish family as the seventh of nine children. Her given name was Kathleen “Kay” Joan Connolly and she was baptized at St. Joseph Church in Somerville. Her parents, Irish immigrants, raised their children to be respectful of elders and faithful to the Church. “We were an ordinary family,” she says. “Father was strict, Mother was the heart.” Two of the children died young.

Around age 5, Sister Marie St. Barbara remembers seeing a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur at Mass and saying, “Mama, I want to be one of those.” 

While in high school, she recalls telling her mother that she still wanted to answer the call to Notre Dame. Mother said, “If you think that’s what God wants, ask your father.” Father said, “What does your mother say?”

She remembers her mother saying to him, “Johnny, we’re not good enough for God to take one of ours to religious life.” In fact, he took two! Both Sister Marie St. Barbara and her youngest sister, Sister Julie Connolly, became Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

Her mother went home to God when Sister Marie St. Barbara was a senior, and Sister promised her father that she would wait until her two youngest siblings were both in high school before entering the convent. It was a one-year delay during which she helped the Sisters in a kindergarten classroom.

She carries a sweet memory of her father from the last visitation day before she took her first vows. Mr. Connolly sent the other children out so he could speak to Sister Marie St. Barbara privately. She was so nervous until he asked:

“Girl, do you want to come home?” 

“No, Papa.” 

“I’ll not ask you again, but the door will always be open.”

When she was first professed, Sister Marie St. Barbara remembers riding from Waltham to Cambridge each morning to teach at Blessed Sacrament School. She later taught several elementary grades and became a K-8 principal for more than 30 years. Her favorite was eighth grade. “They weren’t sure what life is about,” she says, “but thought they were so sophisticated. I tried to guide them to make good decisions.”

Sister Marie St. Barbara considers it a privilege to teach children about God and his goodness. “I couldn’t ask for anything more,” she says. “I was a teacher, confidante, friend—all the roles that help youngsters and their families.”

Sister Marie St. Barbara has had many wonderful and meaningful experiences during her long life as a Sister, yet one memory is retold with reverence. When her youngest sister, Sister Julie, was dying, “Kay” was by her side as many SNDdeNs came in to pray and say farewell.

“They stood around her bed, some kissed her, some whispered in her ear, they patted her hand,” she said.

She remembers another Sister comforting her by saying, “She’s close to God right now and being with her means we are close to God.”

On the occasion of her 80th Jubilee in 2026, Sister Marie St. Barbara expressed profound gratitude for her life in Notre Dame.

“I’m grateful to God first for the grace of a religious vocation. It’s been a privilege to be a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur and a daughter of St. Julie. I never had a doubt about my vocation. The Lord was always there.”

Updated in 2026