Town mourns former college head
8:00am Thursday 8th May 2008
SISTER Mary Kelly, a former principal of Holy Cross College, died last week at the age of 79.
She was involved with the college for 60 years and was appointed principal from 1966 to 1976 and from 1985 to 1994.
Sr Mary Kelly came to Bury in 1947 as a student teacher at Bury Convent Prepatory School, which was part of what would later become Holy Cross College.
She professed her vows as a religious sister of the Daughter of the Cross in 1951.
After studying at universities in Dublin and London, Sr Mary Kelly returned to the school in 1956 to teach for two years.
She spent two years as deputy headteacher at London Oratory School before going to Bury Convent Grammar School in the same role in 1962.
She was appointed as headteacher in 1966 on the retirement of Sister Emilie Mary.
Sr Mary Kelly left Bury again in 1976 and was elected Sister Provincial of the English Province of the Daughters of the Cross of Liege, which runs schools, hospitals, special schools and residential homes for the elderly.
She returned to Bury as principal of Holy Cross College in 1985 and remained there until 1994.
She was elected as Sister Provincial again in 1994 and held the post until 2003.
In her retirement, Sr Mary Kelly visited the college daily and was a familiar face to the current students.Her work at the college was honoured in 1999 when a new building was named after her.
Principal Mike O'Hare said: "Sister Mary Kelly was known for her fierce devotion to Bury Convent and Holy Cross College and arguably rescued Holy Cross in its early years.
"She embodied the ethos of community and care for students and staff and their families.
"Mary never forgot a face and likewise she is fondly remembered by generations of students and staff that have passed through Bury Convent and Holy Cross College.
"She will be greatly missed by all at Holy Cross and the Greater Bury community."
A funeral mass will be held for Sr Mary Kelly on Tuesday in Cheam, Surrey, where she died.
She will be interred at Bury Cemetery at 2pm on Wednesday.
A memorial service will be held at the college in early June.
Your Say YourBury
Margaret Schofield, Heywood says...
3:19pm Tue 13 May 08
In September 1965 I joined Sister Mary Kelly's maths group. She restored my love of mathematics through her excellent teaching skills and as a result of this I went on to pass the subject with ease.
As a now semi-retired primary school teacher myself, the subject I have always enjoyed teaching the most has been maths. I would like to think that I have been able to help other young people to cope with mathematical problems in the way that Sister Mary helped me.
In 1993 when I took my daughter for an interview to Holy Cross Sixth Form College, Sister Mary had no problem in recognising me and greeted me immediately by my first name.
She will be very sadly missed by numerous people.
May she rest in peace.
Margaret Schwartz (Johnson), says...
6:04pm Sun 25 May 08
The fact that I really enjoyed my school days is largely attributable to Sister Mary Kelly's wise leadership. Although I had not seen her for years, we corresponded every Christmas. She always took a keen interest in me, my family and friends. Her passing marks a severing of an important link with my past, but I thank God for having known her, and I hope we will meet again. Headteachers with her devotion to her pupils are a rare breed. Hers was a true vocation.
R.I.P.
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