'One single thing at a time and leave the rest in the heart of the good God.
-St. Julie Billiart
Sister Clare was born and grew up in the Roslindale section of Boston. A daughter of John and Mary Waldron Kelly, Irish immigrants, she was the sixth of nine children. Even in their early years, she and her five brothers and three sisters all felt blessed by the good God.
She was led to enter the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1946 as she saw the Sisters teaching their students about God’s love for them and she felt called by God to do the same. In her first ministry in Cambridge, Mass., she found herself in a setting similar to her own childhood experience. She remembers that in those days they taught 50+ students in each class, there was no talking in line, and Sister was definitely in charge!
In addition to her teaching, parish ministry meant a great deal to her. She visited with parents about the trials and blessings of raising a family, tried to make sure they introduced to their children the concept of prayer (really just talking to God), and encouraged parents to pray with their children. In her many years of service, among other locations she served as parish Religious Education Coordinator in Hanson, Mass., and ministered at Sacred Heart Parish in Springfield, Mass.
Now in retirement at Notre Dame du Lac in Worcester, Mass., Sister Clare celebrated her 75th Jubilee as an SNDdeN in 2021. She expresses her greatest gratitude to God for “those people who love her and encourage her and continue in their own way to spread the word of Jesus”.