“Better mistakes than paralysis.”
– St. Julie Billiart
Sister Margaret Philip Coffey has happy memories of her family life in New Britain, Conn. with her three older siblings—Stephen, Ann and Catherine. They always looked out for each other, and they were loved unconditionally by their parents, Stephen and Mary (Narsaviche) Coffey, who chose the name Rosemary for her at birth.
She was educated by the Sisters of Mercy in junior high school, then the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain. During high school, she discerned that she had a vocation. In 1962 she joined the Congregation at Fairfield, Conn., four years after her sister Ann (who became Sister Mary Stephen Coffey, SNDdeN) had entered.
She graduated from Emmanuel College in 1968 with a degree in Education and Art, and taught in grades 1 through 8 for a total of 51 years! “Teaching was a joy and a challenge,” she says, noting that she spent more than 30 years teaching eighth grade alone. Though she was also certified to teach in Massachusetts, Sister remained in Connecticut with assignments to schools in Hamden, New Canaan, Milford, Bridgeport and Shelton. During her career, Sister Margaret Philip took various courses in religious education. She also earned a master's degree in art from Southern Connecticut State University in 1981.
Sister Margaret enjoys being with people and helping others whenever she is able, and it brings her joy to reach out to others when they are in need. At this time of Jubilee, she is grateful for all the blessings that the Good God has given to her.
Sister Margaret Philip’s Ministries
| 1966-69 | Teacher, Grades 1&2, St. Rita School, Hamden, Conn. |
| 1969 | Teacher Grade 3, St. Aloysius School, New Canaan, Conn. |
| 1969-90 | Teacher, Grades 3-8, St. Gabriel School, Milford, Conn. |
| 1990-91 | Teacher, Grades 6-8, (Junior High), Sacred Heart/St. Anthony School, Bridgeport, Conn. |
| 1991-2017 | Teacher, Grades 4-6, and 7-8, St. Lawrence School, Shelton, Conn. |
| 2017-22 | Ministering to the homebound and physically challenged. |