She’s 100 percent Irish, a loyal fan of the St.
Louis Cardinals and the Green Bay Packers, and her path to
religious life was quietly led by a Higher Power with a gentle,
guiding hand.
Born on Tuesday, December 12, 1944, in Springfield, IL, to Thomas
and Helen (Sullivan) O’Connor, Maureen O’Connor’s
earliest career aspiration was to be a math teacher. However,
sometime during high school, she changed her mind.
While she was a student at Sacred Heart Academy, Springfield, she
worked in a doctor’s office and suspects it was during this
time that her interest in nursing began. “In 1960, when St.
John’s Hospital, Springfield, and Sister Anna Marie Schwieder
(Gerard) initiated a Candy Striper program,” (the unique job
title represented the candy cane look of the red and white-striped
dress worn by the young, female hospital volunteer), “I
signed up,” Sister Maureen said. “I was especially fond
of the opportunities to be with the pediatric patients.” In
looking back at this time in my life, I suspect that Sister Anna
Marie may have done some subtle recruiting for my vocation, but
since I was enjoying my teenage years, including going on dates
with boys, I didn’t take much notice.” However, she
admits that the thought of religious life crossed her mind a few
times.
In 1962, upon receiving her high school diploma, she enrolled in
St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing, Springfield.
“The school’s excellent reputation and my familiarity
with St. John’s was the driving force in my decision,”
she explained. It was also during this time that she began to
ponder something else. “The idea of being a Hospital Sister
of St. Francis surfaced while I was at the School of Nursing. I
visited with Sister Paulette Collings, who was my Operating Room
instructor, and Father Terence Tracy, hospital chaplain, and talked
with them.”
Sister Maureen entered the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis in 1965
and is the last person to graduate from St. John’s Hospital
School of Nursing who entered the community and stayed.
In addition to her nursing diploma, she holds a bachelor’s
degree in nursing from Marillac College, a master’s degree in
nursing from the University of Colorado, and an MBA from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also holds a
certificate from the Institute of Law & Religious Life from
Misericordia University, Dallas, PA.
Her nursing assignments were at sponsored hospitals in Streator,
Decatur, and Green Bay. She also served at Hospital Sisters Health
System as the Administrative Assistant/Finance. From 1988-2007, she
served as the Provincial Secretary/Treasurer for the American
Province of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. Since 2007, she
has served on the leadership team as the Provincial Vicaress.
“In my own experience, I found that God was persistent with
me, and I tended to go the other direction. I now see that God was
leading me throughout my life, and I’ve learned from the
experience. We should always be open to
God’s will in our life.”
