In Loving Memory...

Sister M. Dorothy Anne, CSC 
(Elizabeth Barr Cahill)
Birth: November 5, 1912
Profession: August 15, 1936
Death: October 26, 2004

Many images come to mind as we remember Sister Dorothy Anne. Saint Paul in his letter to Timothy, speaking in the evening of his life, offers one that seems particularly appropriate. He says, “As for me, my life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me which the Lord…will give to me on that day” (2 Timothy 4:6).

On October 26, just days before her 92nd birthday, Dorothy Anne crossed her earthly finish line and met her loving God. She gave up her running shoes and received her crown of righteousness. She finished her race with the humor and grace so characteristic of her life.

She was born to Walter and Dorothy Cahill in Meridian, Connecticut, the first of three children. Her family moved to Washington, D.C., when she was 4 years old, and so she always considered herself a native Washingtonian. After graduating from the Academy of the Holy Cross in 1930, she entered the Congregation in 1933. In her poem “The Joyful Mysteries” she speaks of her decision “…and so I followed – abandoning ….A Chevy coupe. To go as the spirit lead. And somehow, By some divine impregnation the seed of wonder blossomed in my flesh and the word was borne.” No stranger to the depths of the human experience, over and over again in the course of her life her mystical reflections would be generously poured out in her poetry.

As a secondary educator for 43 years, she gave of herself – mind and spirit – to generations of young women in Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Virginia. Returning to Washington in 1950 afforded her an opportunity to be near her beloved family. She shared joyfully in the lives of several generations of the Cahill clan.

In 1977, at the age of 65, she completed the requirements to become a licensed practical nurse and ventured on to new terrain. For six years she served at a hospital in Alexandria. Her skills as an educator and an excellent writer, coupled with her outgoing temperament, made her an invaluable asset to the nursing administrator.

The opportunity to serve at Holy Cross Hospital beckoned her in 1984. After years of ministry with young adults she gravitated to pediatrics. For years she was synonymous with the KISS (Kids in Safety Seats) Program. Teaching parents the critical lessons of protecting their children from harm was her daily delight. In her interactions with patients, families, staff and physicians her generous heart poured out a healing balm. Kevin Sexton in writing to tell the hospital community of her death said, “She was an extraordinary person…she was sustained throughout her life by her family, her poetry, her intellectual curiosity, her sense of humor, and her love of God, the Sisters of the Holy Cross and the Washington Redskins. She taught us all a lesson in the extraordinary rejuvenative power of service to others and was a vital member of this community right to the end of her life.”

In her final days, as the finish line drew near, her gaze was fixed even more intently on Jesus. Approaching her various medical exams and treatments, she spoke often of Jesus in his final hours and of being held in his loving embrace. When she returned home to Saint Angela we thought we would have some time to say our goodbyes. But once in the comfort of her room, she caught a glimpse of the finish line and made her final dash to cross to her eternal home.

News of Dorothy Anne’s death brought forth responses from around the world. Brother Alan Harrod wrote from Uganda: “I …remember seeing her at the history conference. She regaled the group with many wonderful stories of the early years at Catholic U. I can just imagine lots of people in heaven laughing at her stories now.”

While the time has come for Dorothy Anne to be gone from our presence, she will never leave us in spirit. She ran the race to the finish. She kept the faith. She gave of herself lavishly. She made us each richer for knowing her.

Written by Sister Patricia Vandenberg, CSC

See “Vocation,” a poem by Sister Dorothy Anne.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministry With the Poor Fund, Saint Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556.