Sister Kathleen Gallivan, SNDdeN was born in Boston in 1946 to parents Charles and Frances (Galvin) Gallivan. Growing up in the close-knit Irish Catholic neighborhood of St. Mark's Parish in Dorchester, Massachusetts, she was immersed in a community where faith was central.
Sister Kathleen attended Notre Dame schools for 12 years and graduated from St. Gregory High School in Dorchester. The influence of her teachers and the positive experiences she had with the Sisters inspired her vocation. "I had good role models," she recalls. Despite an early interest in healthcare, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur captivated her heart. She entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1964, taking her first vows in 1967 and final vows in 1976.
Her family supported her decision, even though they hoped she might wait a year after high school. "My father had a brother who was a priest, so there was a sense of support," she shares.
Sister Kathleen's first mission was teaching third grade at St. Monica's School in Methuen, Massachusetts. "I loved the children, but I was not meant to be a third-grade teacher," she admits. She quickly found her stride teaching junior high at the same school and then high school, where she taught biology and religion at St. Mary's in Lynn, Massachusetts.
A pivotal moment in her journey came when she spent a transformative summer at University Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) in Boston, which ignited her passion for pastoral care. "It was a wonderful experience that led me to explore my gifts, talents, strengths and vulnerabilities," she says. This prompted further studies, and she pursued a Master of Divinity degree at Andover Newton Theological School. "I needed to get out of the strictly Catholic world and open my eyes to a broader, multifaith perspective," she explains. Concurrently, she worked part-time at Ecumenical Counseling Services in Melrose, Massachusetts, and served as the Director of Religious Education at St. Margaret’s Church in Saugus, Massachusetts.
Sister Kathleen's journey next took her to South Africa, where she engaged in ongoing formation with Sisters during the apartheid era in the early 1980s. “It was probably the most transformative experience of my life,” she reflects. She also traveled to other parts of Africa — Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria — providing workshops and facilitating meetings.
Upon returning to the United States, she served as the Director of Formation for the Boston Province while pursuing a doctoral degree at Boston University. This role gave her a more profound sense of the Sisters’ internationality, which led her (with Sister Dorothy Connelly) to propose to leadership “The Final Vow” program, which, over three decades later, continues to give young Sisters a deeper sense of the internationality of the congregation before taking final vows.
Sister Kathleen was awarded her doctoral degree in psychology from Boston University, where she still works part-time as a therapist. She next finished her Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training and, following a brief role at Emmanuel College working with their urban-based CPE program, in 2002, Sister Kathleen joined Brigham and Women's Hospital as a CPE educator and Director of Spiritual Care and continued in the role for over two decades until 2023. She led a staff of interfaith chaplains and helped prepare the next generation of professional chaplains in the CPE program. This ministry was profoundly challenging and exciting, allowing her to stretch her mind and heart to reach the wider community. Initially hesitant about her administrative skills, she soon embraced the role and found it deeply fulfilling. "I loved the work and felt it was where I was really supposed to be," she says.
Reflecting on her 60 years as a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur, she feels grateful for her vocation and the opportunities it has brought.
In divisive times, Sister Kathleen remains hopeful. "I believe that something good is going to come out of the darkness," she says, inspired by St. Julie’s words: "Better mistakes than paralysis." She values taking risks and moving forward, trusting in the goodness of God and the enduring light that guides her path.