Sister Rosemary Sheehan

Sr. Sheehan grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where she attended secondary school at St. Saviour High School.  She then studied at Manhattanville College, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Nursing in 1948.  Similar to Sr. Magnetti, she felt drawn to the RSCJ after her exposure to the order at Manhattanville College.  Sr. Sheehan joined the Society of the Sacred Heart as a novice at Kenwood in Albany, New York in 1948.  She made her Final Vows in 1957 in Rome, Italy, according to rscj.org.

As an educator and health worker, Sr. Sheehan ministered at Sacred Heart schools in Rochester, New York, and Noroton, Connecticut, before arriving on King Street in 1965.  For the next 50 years, Sr. Sheehan would impact the lives of students at Sacred Heart in Greenwich.  She led the Upper School for 22 years and later served as Director of Outreach, according to rscj.org.  

Mrs. Dunn graduated in the Class of 1973.  She has spent a cumulative 46 years at Sacred Heart, as a student, teacher, and administrator.  She commented on Sr. Sheehan’s dedication to the Goals and Criteria, especially Goal Three: “a social awareness which impels to action.” 

“Sr. Sheehan profoundly impacted so many of us who went to Sacred Heart Greenwich,” Mrs. Dunn said.  “Her commitment and willingness to help others were contagious.  Goal Three […] was Sr. Sheehan.  Her commitment to education and service was evident in all that she did.  She established a summer enrichment camp for inner-city children and committed to keeping it going for as long as possible and introduced us all to service.  I believe her goal in life was to instill values of compassion and service to the younger generation.”

Sr. Sheehan passed away in 2017, but her legacy of service lives on through the Sr. Sheehan Service Honor Society.  The Upper School launched this program last year to recognize students who have demonstrated commitment to serving the marginalized, and members of the Class of 2024 were the first to receive this distinction.  

Indeed, the honor society’s namesake lived a life of service.  In addition to her decades spent as a faculty member, she founded and managed a summer program, ministering to 300 elementary school children.  She also established Sacred Heart’s ongoing partnership with the Carver Center, an organization that provides food support and youth programming in Port Chester, New York.