Sister M. Kenneth CSC

Sister M. Kenneth, CSC

(Mary Kathleen Regan)

March 30, 1926 - December 24, 2025

Entered the Sisters of the Holy Cross from Austin, Texas, on July 30, 1945

Initial Profession of Vows on August 15, 1948

Mary Kathleen Regan was born during Holy Week on March 30, 1926, in Chicago, Illinois. She was the first born of Daniel James and Kathleen (Koock) Regan, who met while in college. Daniel was a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, while Kathleen was a Saint Mary's College graduate. Mr. Regan was an accountant, then federal bank examiner, requiring his family to move periodically. Mary's maternal grandmother was the matriarch of a long succession of strong Texas women, so she was not thrilled about Mary being born in Chicago. To ensure her granddaughter was born on Texas soil, the grandmother sent Mary's parents a box of dirt that was to be placed under the bed when she was born. The family moved to Austin, Texas, within a few years of her birth, where all three of her younger sisters – Patricia, Donna Ann, and Brigid – were born.

In Austin, Mary was taught by Holy Cross sisters at Saint Mary's Academy from the first through tenth grade, and then at Saint Mary's Academy in South Bend, Indiana, until her graduation. She was a happy teenager, and was known for her cheerfulness and "spirit of cooperation." After graduating high school in 1943, she worked as a clerk for the local post office in Austin until her entrance into the Congregation. Her "indescribable love" for Holy Cross, fostered by her Holy Cross teachers, guided her in discerning her vocation. On July 30, 1945, Mary entered the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana. Upon reception of the holy habit, she received her religious name – Sister Mary Kenneth.

For 67 years, Sister Kenneth was missioned to parochial elementary schools in Washington, D.C., New York, Virginia, and Texas. She taught a variety of subjects to kindergarten through eighth grade, including religion, math, reading, and spelling. She also served as a principal for three elementary schools in Texas. In 1963, Sister Kenneth graduated from Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Texas, with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. She also earned two master's degrees – one in elementary education from Incarnate Word College in 1971, and another in theology from Saint Mary's University in San Antonio in 1989.

Sister Kenneth firmly believed that she belonged in the classroom. Her positive attitude toward life and passion for Catholic school education made her a beloved teacher. Many former students would often visit her, which gave her a great deal of satisfaction. She felt that teachers had an obligation to accommodate diversity and "break down prejudice," so she often found herself "going to bat" for students that needed encouragement and support. Bishops in Texas became very familiar with Sister Kenneth, as she routinely went to them to advocate for the improvement of Catholic education in their dioceses.

A few of Sister Kenneth's favorite hobbies were knitting and crocheting. Once her nieces and nephews started having children, she knitted and crocheted "enough booties and afghans for the Regan clan to clothe a small army." Sister Kenneth was also an avid sports fan. She often said that "the only TV I liked to watch are the educational programs – football, baseball, and basketball!"

In 2015, Sister Kenneth concluded her lifelong education ministry and retired to the motherhouse at Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, Indiana. Her many nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews always made time to travel to Saint Mary's to visit and celebrate special occasions with her. Sister Kenneth was grateful for all the love, joy, and support she felt from living in her religious community for over 80 years, dying at Saint Mary's Convent at 99 years old, in the last hours before sunset on Christmas Eve. Be assured that this daughter of Texas will be commended to the holy ground of Our Lady of Peace Cemetery in the company of the Holy Cross sisters she loved so much.