Juana McCarthy

Sister Juana McCarthy, SNDdeN was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts. She was the fifth of six children, one boy and five girls. She attended St. Mark grammar school and then moved on to Archbishop Cushing Central High for her secondary education. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur had been her educators for twelve years, and so, despite a call to do missionary work, she entered the convent.

Her first ministries were teaching and leadership in primary schools in both the Boston and Worcester dioceses. In the mid-seventies, Sister Juana felt drawn to the SNDdeN mission in Peru. In 1977, she began her ministry in Tambogrande, Peru, a rural area in the country’s northern region. One of the favorite parts of her ministry there was preparing people from the rural villages to become health workers. Later, she moved to Tupac Amaru de Villa, a shanty town on the outskirts of Lima. During this time, among other activities, she accompanied young Peruvian women in their formation process as they prepared to become Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

Since her return from Peru in 1995, she has been engaged in ministry for the Congregation as a part of the finance office.

In a recent reflection on her 70 years of religious life, Sister Juana wrote:

“I have worked with children, walked with the poor in the rural areas and shanty towns of Peru and most recently accompanied our Sisters, particularly those in Africa and Latin America, through our Finance Education program. They all had a deep belief in God’s loving care for them. Despite the suffering or difficulties they may have encountered, they knew that God was always with them.”

Being an SNDdeN for 70 years has been a gift and a privilege for which she is very, very grateful. Knowing that God has been with her has given her strength and courage.

At his resurrection, Jesus said, “I will be with you always.” (Matthew 28 v20) This has been one of Sister Juana’s favorite scripture passages.

Updated in 2026