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The Children

of

John Aloysius and Rose A. Lamon Kane

(Philadelphia, PA)

*********************************

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Sr. Mary Severa (secular name: Mary Margaret Kane)

Born: 12/3/1904, Philadelphia, PA

Died: 9/26/1982, Chester County Hospital, Chester, PA

(Photo Date: 1968)

Note: I will be forever grateful to Sister Genevieve Mary, Archivist, Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Immaculata, PA for taking the time to provide me with Mary's history with the convent. In so doing, she also provided me with the copies of her records and with the marriage certificate of her parents.

Her sisters, Rose M. and Anna, both said that she was bright and dutiful child and, though she was a bit more subdued than they, she was spirited. I remember my Aunt Mary as a wonderful woman. She was kind and loving and a gifted educator.

Mary was the eldest of John and Rose's children was baptised on 12/18/1904 at the Church of St. Anthony Padua, Philadelphia, PA. In 1910, she attended St. Anthony's Catholic Church, 2321 Fitzwater St. Philadelphia, PA from where she graduated the 8th grade in 1918. From all accounts, Mary was a good student and, for the most part,

enjoyed school. As is customary in the Roman Catholic Church at that time, Mary's Confirmation was conducted with her grade school class. On 2/18/1915, she confirmed her Catholic Faith at St. Anthony's Catholic Church.

enjoyed school. As is customary in the Roman Catholic Church at that time, Mary's Confirmation was conducted with her grade school class. On 2/18/1915, she confirmed her Catholic Faith at St. Anthony's Catholic Church.


Mary graduated into high school and from 1918 to 1921, she attended Catholic Girls High School in Philadelphia, PA from where she graduated.


A devout Catholic, Mary had told me that she had decided early on that she wished to enter the religious life. So, as she was preparing to graduate from high schoool she told her parents she wanted to become part of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary order when her graduation was official. Although both were devout Catholics, her parents were reluctant to permit her to do so at the age of 17 and not having had the opportunity to experience life before making such a serious decision about her future. At that time, the legal age was 21. In order for Mary to have entered the convent at 17, John and Rose would have had to signed a waiver, giving her permission to do so. They wouldn't do it and insisted she work for a few years, think about this choice while considering others for her future. Reluctantly, she agreed.


Unlike today, it was considered a disgrace to a family if a member (male or female) entered religious life and later resigned from their vocation. Mary told me that because of the shameful stigma that this brought to families, many young woman would not leave the religious life for the sake of family honor. They remained in a life that brought them sadness and often left them bitter from the lack of fulfillment. "It is those sisters," she said, "that are the ones who take their sorrow out on the children they teach. They shouldn't have felt they had to stay in being that unhappy. But, back then, it just wasn't done. Once a young girl entered, she stayed for life. I wanted to join the Order. I wanted to serve God and teach his children." And so she did.

After keeping her word to work and experience life before comitting to a religious calling, Mary went to her parents and told them that she had not changed her mind. With her parents' blessings, she entered 

religious life becoming a noviatiate of the Sisters of the Immaculae Heart of Mary on 7/11/1925. I can not fix a firm date on this photo but it is prior to 1929, Novices typically wore a different habit and, judging by Mary's habit style, it appears she had already taken vows. Once having done so, she would for the next 57 years be known as Sister Mary Severa.

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