Sister Madeleine Sophie McLeod
1927-2008
At the wake service for Sister Madeleine Sophie McLeod, Sister Ann Liam Lees, Prioress of the Florida Mission Chapter, spoke words of praise:
Sister Madeleine Sophie … lived her life fully, openly, and joyfully. This is partly due to the fact that she possessed and expressed an overflowing attitude of gratitude. She was grateful for the gift of Faith, the opportunity to have come to know the Adrian Dominicans at St. Joseph Academy and the call to become one of them. She was an only child, and religious life gifted her with an “almost real” sister, Sister Eileen Sullivan. She has given loving testimony in her autobiography that it was “God Who provided it all!”
The mantra she learned and quoted often throughout her life was “There are no accidents in the Providence of God.” Through that Providence, her passion for education and for the promotion of religious vocations grew and flourished. She expressed that her great desire was to bring people to God, and to bring God to people.
Sister Madeleine Sophie was also loved and appreciated by the students in her classes and the people with whom she worked. Before she retired in 1998, she ministered for fifteen years at Pope John Paul II High School in Boca Raton, Florida. In 1994 she was honored at the school’s sixteenth Black Tie Ball with the annual Outstanding Eagle Award, the school’s highest honor. At that time Father John Horan, president of the school, said: “I’ve never seen so many people from the high school agree on anything as on the choice of Sister for the Outstanding Eagle Award.” Among the ads of the ball supporters in the little book put out as a favor to those attending were many expressions of congratulations and best wishes to Sister Madeleine Sophie.
At that time, also, she disclosed her plans to write, on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee, to at least fifty “former and current” students whom she considered good prospects, urging them to give serious thought to dedicating themselves to God in the religious life or priesthood. She would also invite them to a meeting at which she and Father Horan would tell their own stories and attempt to arouse interest in religious vocations.
In her autobiography, she mentioned her passion about vocations. She gave as her reason, “Because I have had such a wonderful life, I would dearly love to see everyone possible enjoy the same wonderful life—complete with its joys and disappointments.” During 1995, the year of her Golden Jubilee, she did write at least fifty letters to former students. She received very little positive response, however, so the intended meeting was not held.
One of Sister Madeleine Sophie’s favorite expressions was “Cha cha cha!” When she found it difficult to express what she wanted to say, she used that expression.
Sister Madeleine Sophie, baptized Helen Patricia, but always called Pat, was the daughter of Alan Nacy and Helen (Carroll) McLeod. She was born in Chicago on January 19, 1927, and was to be their only child. Her records indicate that her father was in real estate and her mother was a secretary. In her autobiography she did not say why, but for the first years of her life, until 1940, she was raised by Mrs. Louise Woodard, an elderly friend of her parents, whom she dearly loved.
Mrs. Woodard and Pat moved three times, and Pat attended grade school in three different cities: St. Lawrence School in Lafayette, Indiana; Howe School in Chicago; and Maquoketa Junior High School in Maquoketa, Iowa. When Pat graduated from junior high school in 1940, Mrs. Woodard was seventy-eight years of age, perhaps in poor health, and thought it time that Pat meet and get to know her birth parents.
This was a sad and heartbreaking time for Pat. Reluctantly she left Mrs. Woodard in Iowa, and moved to Detroit where she met her parents. Although she did not give a reason, in her autobiography she wrote, “I boarded and worked at the Convent of the Sacred Heart with the Religious of the Sacred Heart until school started.” In August 1940 her parents sent her to St. Joseph Academy in Adrian. During the summer vacations, she returned to the Convent of the Sacred Heart to board and work. Records show that her birth mother died in 1967, and her father, in 1975. There is no record of Mrs. Woodard’s death.
She wrote that she loved everything about St. Joseph Academy, expressed much gratitude to the sisters, and believed that her religious vocation was born there. After graduation in June 1944, she worked for several months in Chicago’s Loop and lived with Sister Mary Jean Walsh’s sister. When she decided to enter the postulate at Adrian, it was Sister Ann Thomas Griffin, her advisor during her years at the Academy, who helped her with her preparations.
On February 2, 1945, Pat entered the postulate at Adrian. She received the habit and her religious name on August 9; and, with her group, professed her first vows on August 13, 1946. Within a short time she was on the train for Florida, where she taught third and fourth grade at St. Mary School in Fort Walton Beach. After a year, she returned to Michigan and taught for three years at Resurrection in Lansing, two years in sixth grade and a year in high school. She then spent eight years at Bishop Quarter Academy in Oak Park, Illinois. In a fax sent to the wake, Sister Miriam Lekan remembered those years:
Sister Madeleine Sophie endeared herself to the boys at Bishop Quarter. She was a true Dominican religious, an excellent teacher, gentle disciplinarian, and a real friend to all of them… Anecdotal tidbits of those years together at Bishop Quarter would fill volumes.
The Bishop Quarter reunion held in Oak Park, Illinois, in September 2000 testified to the love and respect the young men still had for her. She was regarded by so many of them as the “Belle of the Ball.” To this very day, correspondence and phone visits with her continue.
It was during those years, in July 1952, that, as a result of summer study, Siena Heights College (now University) in Adrian conferred upon Sister Madeleine Sophie a Bachelor’s Degree with a major in English and minors in history and Spanish. She spent the ensuing summers studying at De Paul University of Chicago, and in August 1958 she received a Master’s Degree in English.
In 1958 Sister Madeleine Sophie spent her only years outside the States. She taught English, speech, and religion at St. Anthony School in Guayama, Puerto Rico, for five years. She also served on the Puerto Rico Forensic Board. Brought back to the States in 1963, she was assigned to the junior high level at St. Peter in Harper Woods, Michigan, where she served for two years. She then spent a semester on the high school level at SS. Peter and Paul in Ruth, Michigan, where she taught English and speech, after which she returned to St. Peter for another two and-a half years.
In 1968 she was assigned to St. Pius X in Toledo, Ohio, for two years as a junior high teacher then spent a year at St. Paul in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, also on the junior high level. During her stay there she was elected Detroit Archdiocesan delegate to the house of delegates of the National Assembly of Women Religious.
She began her seven-year stay at Blessed Sacrament in Toledo, Ohio, in 1971. She conducted a classroom for three years, then she and Sister Eileen Sullivan served as co-principals for four years. During this time, she also served a term on the Diocesan School Board and was elected president of the Toledo Principals Association.
She was again in Florida in 1978, where she and Sister Eileen Sullivan served as co-principals at Rosarian Academy in West Palm Beach for five years. Upon their assuming this responsibility, a large picture of them appeared in the Palm Beach Post. The accompanying article said:
The two divide administrative burdens according to their own preferences and abilities. Sister Madeleine, the more vocal of the two, handles student affairs, public relations, and most of the non-curricular aspects. Sister Eileen, reserved and meticulous, handles the paper work. Major decisions and hiring of teachers are negotiated.
In 1983 Sisters Madeleine Sophie and Eileen began their fifteen-year ministry at Pope John Paul II High School in Boca Raton. Sister Madeleine Sophie served there for seven years as Dean of Students and eight years chairing the fine arts department and teaching speech and drama.
Sister Madeleine Sophie retired in 1998. She lived in Rockford, Illinois, for six years, then moved back to Boca Raton for four years and volunteered at Pope John Paul II High School. In June 2008 she returned to Adrian, residing at the Dominican Life Center/Maria. She called herself “a temporary resident” of Maria, but God had other plans. She was taken ill, and was in Bixby Hospital for a time. At the wake Sister Rosemary Abramovich said, “When they were going to discharge her, one of the nurses said, ‘Cha cha is ready to go home.’” Death came to her on July 20, 2008.
Sister Madeleine Sophie’s wake-remembrance service was held in Adrian’s St. Catherine Chapel on July 22. Sister Ann Liam Lees opened the service, extended condolences, and welcomed all who had assembled to bid Sister Madeleine Sophie farewell.
Sister Lois Spear, a member of her profession group, spoke. She told a story about the retreat that the group made for their fortieth anniversary. The group chose to go to Salt Lake City where Sister Lois was working at the time.
Then began a series of conversations with Sophie. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go on a retreat that might include some sightseeing. She wanted it to be a time of prayer. I told her that we could accommodate her request. She could stay behind at the retreat house whenever she chose. She agreed to attend. When she arrived at the retreat house, she was the life of the party. She rode in the back of the bus on the way to Logan to see the mountains, singing and joking all the way.
Her depth of spirituality shown forth at the liturgy celebrated in a beautiful site behind the church… Sophie was the liturgist. The readings were particularly meaningful, the final reflection rich in depth and application. Sophie gave each of us a stone to remember the day… I will always remember that beautiful liturgy and the woman whose life united the spirituality with the gustiness of daily life. She was a woman of incomparable joy.
Sister Mary Dougherty, who became a friend of Sisters Madeleine Sophie and Eileen when they were co-principals at Rosarian Academy in West Palm Beach, spoke of how impressed she was when Sister Madeleine Sophie wrote the fifty letters to current and former students of Pope John Paul II High School.
Sister Marie Siena Chmara spoke of her sixty-three-year friendship with Sister Madeleine Sophie. Their friendship began at St. Joseph Academy in Adrian.
She would be in the lineup in the hall waiting to enter the dining room, and I was waiting to get into another dining room. We would talk all the time that we were waiting. Then she disappeared and I wondered where she was. When I entered the Congregation, there she was, a novice… When she left, and after my profession, we were sent to different missions. If it hadn’t been for meetings in various parts of the country, I probably wouldn’t have seen her again.
When she came to the Dominican Life Center about six weeks ago, I visited her every day. She talked a lot about the plans she had for when she got back to Pope John Paul II High School… Before long she lost interest, but I knew her heart was still alive in teaching.
Virginia Devine, present principal of Rosarian Academy, also spoke.
I met the sisters in 1978 when they came as co-principals to the Academy. I also met Sister’s dog Charger. I was the Dean of Students, trying to keep everyone in focus. Charger carried Sister Madeleine Sophie’s keys around a lot, but would sometimes drop them. Then she would be looking for them… The two of them infused the campus with so much love and laughter.
She loved her God, and she loved our campus, too. She was not at all shy about asking young women if they were interested in a religious vocation… I thank her for her goodness, the love she gave us, and for making the world a better place.
Sister Madeleine Sophie’s funeral liturgy was celebrated on July 23. Father Julian Peters, OSB, a former student, was the presider and homilist. Father is now at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis, Indiana. Father David W. Carr, now principal of Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, concelebrated. Some thoughts from Father Peters’ homily are:
In the Fall of 1973, a precocious little boy found himself in the classroom of Sister Madeleine Sophie. That began a long story… It was the beginning of many lessons in many different forms from a woman who loved religious life, an Adrian Dominican through and through. She loved the Church and everybody in it… This is an opportunity for me to pay tribute to the Adrian Dominican Sisters who have been a part of my formation and encouraged my vocation at Blessed Sacrament in Toledo, Ohio. There are no accidents in the Providence of God. Everything is according to His plan, whether we understand it or not… Today we lay to rest her body in the earth. She told me many times, “It’s a wonderful life!” Cha cha cha.