Mary Leona Cecil grew up just two miles from the Mount on Cecil Road. She was the daughter of Arthur Cecil and Irene Hite Cecil. She was born on April 11, 1927, and was the fourth of seven children. Her brothers and sisters were Marion Cecil, Martin Cecil, Thomas Cecil, Winifred Cecil Riney, Hubert Joseph and Mary Irene who both died as infants.
She started school at St. Alphonsus across the highway from the Mount in the first grade. At that time Catholic School children were not allowed to ride the public-school buses, so she and her two brothers rode a horse to school. She was always the one to ride in the middle. Due to a lack of classroom space at St. Alphonsus, she attended classes at the Mount in second, third, and fourth grades.
Her high school years were spent at Mount Saint Joseph as a day student. It was during her senior year that she knew she wanted to enter the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph.
On September 7, 1945, Mary Leona entered the community. On August 14, 1946, she began her novitiate year with six other young women and became Sister Mary Irene Cecil which was the name of her little sister who had died. She made her first vows on August 15, 1948, and her final vows on August 15, 1951.
Her first teaching assignment was in the year she made her first vows, 1948. Her teaching assignments took her to Immaculate Conception School in Earlington, Ky., where she taught grades one through four; St. Brigid School in Vine Grove, Ky., where she taught first and second grades; Holy Cross School in Loretto, Ky.; Good Shepherd School in Hillsboro, Mo.; St. Joseph School in Leitchfield, Ky., and Seven Holy Founders School in Affton, Mo.
In 1969, she was asked to take the position as one of the supervisors of teachers in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Her job was to visit schools to observe teachers and help with curriculum if needed.
Her life changed again when she was elected to the Council in 1974 to fill an unexpired term. She served as a member of the Council until she was elected superior in 1980. One of the biggest decisions that was made during her time in office was the closing of Mount Saint Joseph Academy. The Academy had offered education to girls for 109 years. The decision was made, and she handled the difficulties with grace and patience. She worked with the Sisters to open the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center in 1983.
After completing her term as superior, she took a sabbatical. When she returned, Bishop John McRaith asked her to come to the Catholic Pastoral Center to become the Director of Adult Formation and later the Director of Lay Ministry and the Coordinator of the staff.
She brought her spirit of gentleness, kindliness, and thoughtfulness to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Owensboro, when she became the minister to the sick in 1996 and later to the Mount when she became co-director of Pastoral Care in the Villa. She looked after the spiritual needs of the Sisters for seven years along with Sister Clarita Browning. Sister Mary Irene said she’d like people to know that “Ursuline Sisters are here to be of service to others, and to show God’s love by the way we give that service. We are here for service.”
Sister Mary Irene, 91, died on December 22, 2018, at Mount St Joseph, in her 72nd year of religious life. The funeral Mass was at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, December 28, 2018, at Mount Saint Joseph Chapel. Burial was in the convent cemetery.