Sister Rosemary Connelly, Misericordia head, helped bring dignity to special needs community
Sister Rosemary Connelly spent her life working to change the standard of care for the developmentally disabled, making a positive impact on the lives of countless individuals through her decades-long leadership of the Chicago nonprofit Misericordia Heart of Mercy.
Well-connected and equally versed in administration, fundraising and finding common ground with the powerful and influential, Connelly, who was part of the Sisters of Mercy Catholic order, took over Misericordia in 1969 and grew it from a residence for 132 children under age 6 — 69 of whom had Down syndrome — to a full-fledged campus in the North Side West Ridge neighborhood, serving 620 residents.
As Misericordia's executive director for 52 years, Connelly expanded the nonprofit to serve adult residents, who then have been given opportunities to work — a significant departure from before Misericordia, when the developmentally disabled had few opportunities to learn how to be responsible employees or improve social skills.
'She was one of those people who created something unique and incredibly valuable,' said Scott Early, a Misericordia parent and the co-chair of the Misericordia Family Association. 'The uniqueness aspect of it is, it's not just caregiving, but she developed a system where you're guiding people who need this guidance to have a life. And while we all need guidance and many of us get it at church or school, the special-needs kids need a little more, and she saw that and provided it.'
Connelly 94, died of natural causes on June 19 at her home on Misericordia's West Ridge campus, according to a statement from Misericordia. She had recently been in hospice care.
Raised on the West Side, Connelly joined the Sisters of Mercy at age 18. She taught in several Catholic schools while continuing her studies, earning a bachelor's degree from St. Xavier University in 1959. She picked up a master's degree in sociology from St. Louis University in 1966 and a master's degree in social work from Loyola University Chicago in 1969.
In 1969, Connelly was called to lead Misericordia, which means 'mercy' or 'compassion' in Latin, as its executive director. At that time, Misericordia, which had started in 1921 and was managed by the Sisters of Mercy as an agency of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, operated the Misericordia Home for Infants on West 47th Street in the Southwest Side Brighton Park neighborhood. The facility adjoined a maternity hospital where Catholic women pregnant out of wedlock would deliver babies. The Sisters of Mercy then typically placed those babies with adoptive parents.
However, those with developmental or physical disabilities were not put up for adoption and instead remained at the Misericordia Home for Infants until age 6, when they were sent to state-run mental institutions. Connelly immediately changed Misericordia's practices. She stopped shipping children to state facilities, and she launched programs to give Misericordia residents a path to greater dignity and meaning. It was a marked change from Misericordia's earlier lack of services for children with disabilities.
'She was assigned as a 39-year-old nun to care for society's discarded — babies with developmental disabilities — until they were old enough to commit to state institutions, where they would have been warehoused and forgotten,' said longtime political strategist and former Tribune reporter David Axelrod, who is the parent of a Misericordia resident. 'But she was determined that these children and others like them would live lives of dignity and joy and purpose. And through her caring heart, iron will and the canny and charm of a Chicago tavern owner's daughter, she built this miraculous community that had touched the lives of thousands of men and women, and their families. She was truly a living saint.'
'I believe children have the right to a good life,' Connelly told the Tribune's Eleanor Page in 1977. 'Our secret is our staff.'
In 1976, Misericordia expanded its operations to the former Angel Guardian Orphanage, on 22 acres in West Ridge, with Connelly, 39 children and 35 dedicated staff members moving there. The orphanage had closed after losing government funding as the state had lost faith in the orphanage model of care in favor of foster homes.
Connelly substantially expanded Misericordia's services — and, the number of individuals it cares for — because Connelly, her staff and thousands of volunteers together raised millions of dollars a year in private money to supplement government support.
Over the ensuing decades, Connelly was behind Misericordia's broadened services, including taking on adult residents starting in 1983 and purchasing and operating group care homes for developmentally disabled adults. The West Ridge campus also expanded to become more than 30 acres, with the additions of a restaurant, a gift shop and a bakery, all of which provide places for Misericordia residents to work.
'The day I walked into Misericordia, I knew it was God's work, and it was one of the most beautiful gifts of my life,' Connelly said in 2016 at the annual Heart of Mercy Ball, according to a 2016 Tribune article. 'We stress abilities, not disabilities, and feel that everyone deserves a life of dignity.'
Connelly was known for her success at working with politicians and deep-pocketed individuals to benefit Misericordia, whether through gaining grants or government assistance. Connelly frequently downplayed her reputation and aptitude for knowing how to ask for large donations from important individuals.
'I'm a simple Sister of Mercy,' she told the Tribune's Mary Schmich in 2011. 'I told my parents at 18 that I wanted to become a nun to live a quiet, unassuming life of service to the Lord. This 'powerful woman the politicians are afraid of'? I have no idea where that came from.'
Early, however, noted that 'for 40, 45, 50 years, she marshaled the necessary support whenever she needed.'
Lois Gates, who worked alongside Connelly for almost 55 years and retired recently after three years as the Misericordia Foundation's executive director, called Connelly 'our champion.'
'To meet her was to be truly captivated — she greeted you with a warm welcome, like you were the only one in the room,' Gates said. 'I know when I started working at Misericordia and became one of her charges, she had me at hello. She was the kind of person who had a sacredness about her, and she really really cared about our children and their adults and the services they receive.'
One of Connelly's signature moves was to provide visitors a personal tour of Misericordia. She observed in 2011 to the Tribune that 'it's a good, loving place our world needs so desperately. When political people come here, once they take the tour, they're a believer.'
Gates also highlighted Connelly's enthusiasm at showcasing Misericordia and its residents to outsiders.
'To tour Misericordia, your life would never be the same,' Gates said.
Today, Misericordia serves 620 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
'For more than seven decades as a religious Sister of Mercy, Sister Rosemary gave proof to the principle that every person is created in God's image and worthy of respect and dignity,' said Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Chicago's archbishop, in a statement. 'A fearless pioneer in making that core value real in the lives of the people she served and their families, she created innovative programs and gathered the resources to bring them to life.'
Connelly retired in 2021 after 52 years as executive director but continued working, taking on a new role as chairman of the newly formed Misericordia Foundation.
In 2023, Connelly was awarded the University of Notre Dame's Laetare Medal for outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society.
'I live in a good world,' she told the Tribune's Mary Schmich in 2011. 'I'm really convinced this life is only a brief moment in time, given to us by God.'
Connelly is survived by a sister, Kathryn Connolly ((CQ)).
A visitation will take place from 1 to 8 p.m. on Monday, June 23 at Misericordia Home, 6300 N. Ridge Ave., Chicago. A funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24 at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State St., Chicago.
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