Helen Margaret Feeney (1919–2004) was an American ecclesiastical administrator and member of the
Sisters of St. Joseph
The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for S ...
who served as the first woman
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford (1986–1994). She was only the fifth woman to serve as chancellor of a US archdiocese. Feeney was named to the
Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame in 1995.
Early life and education
Feeney was born Mary Louise Feeney in
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford () is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, outside of Manhattan. It is Connecticut's second-most populous city, behind Bridgeport. With a population of 135,470, Stamford passed Hartford and New Haven in population as of the 2020 ...
, to parents William and Helen (Steblar) Feeney. She attended
Sacred Heart Academy and entered the Sisters of Saint Joseph Convent in
West Hartford, Connecticut
West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census.
The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The C ...
, in 1937, professing her perpetual vows in 1943 and legally becoming Sister Helen Margaret. She received her bachelor's degree from the
Diocesan Sisters College, a master's degree in education with a specialization in reading from
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
, and a sixth-year certificate in professional education and administration from the
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
.
Feeney taught in Catholic schools across Connecticut for many years. She was principal of St. James School in
Danielson from 1972 to 1974, coordinator of elementary schools in the greater
Waterbury area from 1974 to 1978, and assistant superintendent of elementary schools for the Archdiocese of Hartford from 1978 to 1986.
Career and service
In 1986,
John Francis Whealon
John Francis Whealon (January 15, 1921 – August 2, 1991) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford in Connecticut from 1968 to 1991.
Whealon previously served as an auxilia ...
appointed Feeney as the first woman Chancellor of the Archdiocese, the highest position in the Roman Catholic Church open to women. As chancellor, Feeney was the archdiocese's chief administrator, responsible for contracts, salaries, personnel, buildings, and documents. She modernized the chancery building and offices, overseeing the introduction of computers and the construction of a new visitor entrance. She also instituted the archdiocese's first archives.
appointed her as his "delegate for special needs" after she stepped down as chancellor. She was succeeded by Daniel J. Plocharczyk, a priest.
Feeney served on the boards of various organizations, including St. Agnes Home for young women,
Saint Francis Hospital,
Catholic Charities
The Catholic Church operates numerous charitable organizations.
Catholic spiritual teaching includes spreading the Gospel, while Catholic social teaching emphasises support for the sick, the poor and the afflicted through the corporal and spir ...
, and Catholic Family Services. She held various offices, including director of the Archdiocesan Mission Co-op and director of the Archdiocesan Office for Religious. She was awarded the
Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice by
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
in 1993 and the Distinguished Catholic Women's Award in 1994. She was inducted into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame in 1995.
Personal life
Feeney died at the Sisters of Saint Joseph Healthcare Center in
West Hartford on November 16, 2004.
References
External links
Helen M. Feeney – Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feeney, Helen M.
1917 births
2004 deaths
People from Stamford, Connecticut
20th-century American Roman Catholic nuns
Catholics from Connecticut
Sisters of Saint Joseph