MEMORIAL RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF SISTER BARBARA MCCARRY, ORDER OF SAINT BENEDICTINE
WHEREAS, Sister Barbara McCarry, Order of Saint Benedictine, beloved colleague, teacher, and friend, passed away on February 2, 2022 at 82 years of age; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of Sr. Barbara's passing by the Honorable Samantha Nugent, Alderman ofthe 39th Ward; and
WHEREAS, Barbara was born in Chicago in 1939 to her parents, Henry and Mary, nee McCarron; the McCarry's lived in and raised Barbara and her four siblings in the Bridgeport neighborhood and belonged to the parish of St. Anthony de Padua where Barbara attended elementary school; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from Maria High School, Barbara enrolled at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in 1961; and
WHEREAS, In 1961, Barbara began her first full-time position as an English teacher for Chicago Public Schools, and at the end of the year, she worked at Camp San Benito, based in Canon City, Colorado where she served alongside the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, On September 12, 1962, Barbara entered the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago and after her postulancy, Barbara was invested as a novice and given the religious name Sister Mary Justin on July 11,1963; at the same time, Barbara was earning her teacher certification, and went on to receive a Master's Degree from Northwestern University in 1974; and
WHEREAS, Sr. Barbara's earlier work included teaching in elementary schools including St. Hillary, Queen of All Saints, and St. Scholastica High School in the City where she went on to become Curriculum Director for three years; from 1978-1993, Sr. Barbara served as principal for Queen of All Saints School; and
WHEREAS, During a two-year break from her work in education, Sr. Barbara trained and became a probation officer in Chicago where her work included outreach to nearby detention centers; and
WHEREAS, Sr. Barbara would return to education as Curriculum Consultant for the Chicago Board of Education, where she engaged in Renaissance 2010 - an initiative promoted by Mayor Richard M. Daley to create 100 new schools to replace existing failing schools; and
WHEREAS, Sr. Barbara's varied and active ministry ended in 2012, when she moved to St. Joseph Court, the infirmary section of the St. Scholastica Monastery; and
WHEREAS, Sr. Barbara's personality, wit, pragmatism, and compassion will be missed by her Benedictine Sisters, numerous friends, and all who knew and loved her; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this twenty-third day of March, 2022, do hereby extend our most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Sister Barbara McCarry; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to the family of Sister Barbara McCarry as a sign of our honor and respect.
SAMANTHA NUGENT Alderman, 39th Ward