E
lizabeth McKey was born in Maybrick, Dromara, Co, Down on May 12, 1891, one of a family of eight, three boys and five girls. She grew up on the home farm and attended the local national school. From her early years she wished to be a missionary but, not knowing of any missionary Sisters, she thought her wish could not be fulfilled and decided to join the Cross and Passion Congregation. She entered the postulancy at MountSt Joseph, Bolton, in 1919. Though fulfilling all the requirements of novitiate life, the call to the missions persisted and, when her novice mistress heard that a new congregation was being founded in Ireland for work in China, she wrote to Father Blowick on Elizabeth’s behalf. He accepted her as a candidate and, while waiting for the entrance date, she worked in the sacristy in Dalgan.
Elizabeth entered in Cahiracon on February 8, 1922 and was received into the congregation on October 4 of the same year, taking the religious name, Sister Mary Joseph. She made her First Profession on September 29, 1924 and was appointed a member of the first General Council. After her resignation from that office in 1926 she worked in the sewing rooms in Cahiracon and in Dalgan, her skill as a seamstress being much in demand in the making of habits and cassocks and for other needs in the linen room. In the mid-forties she suffered much ill-health and arthritis limited the scope of her activities. She was assigned to the US in 1949 and she was to spend the remainder of her life there in the Hyde Park and Silver Creek communities. Her arthritis became more acute with the years but she continued to use her sewing talents as long as she was able; dressing statues of the Infant of Prague for which there were many orders. She died of a heart attack in Silver Creek, on August 13, 1964 and is buried in the cemetery there.
Sister Mary Joseph was a gentle, friendly woman, circumspect and private her sense of humour could later make her laugh at her over-cautiousness. Though ill-health prevented her from engaging in the active missionary work for which she longed, she bore this privation patiently and kept up a keen interest in her own and her Columban family.