February 19, 2025

By Darcy Fargo
Editor

“100,” pondered Sister Mary Camillus O’Keefe, a Sister of Mercy of the Americas, “How does that happen?”

On Thursday, February 13, Sister Camillus celebrated her 100th birthday.

“I came here as a physical therapist,” she said, sitting in the library of the sisters’ convent in Elderwood at Uihlein, formerly Uihlein Mercy Center. “I had studied at St. Louis University. It was a small class. They were all eager to go to big hospitals, and they couldn’t understand me coming up to a nursing home. I’ve always been so inspired by elderly people. Little did I know I’d be one!”
Sister Camillus said she thoroughly enjoyed the job.

“My first patient was a home visit. It was a man, and for treatment, I was to show him how to use crutches. Here he is, a 6-footer, and I’m supposed to teach him how to use crutches. He’s looking at me; I’m looking at him. If he falls, there’s no way I’m getting him up. I thought, ‘I’d better pray.’ Years later, I thought he was probably praying, too.

“I loved physical therapy. I loved working people one on one.”

After serving in that role for “about seven or eight years,” Sister Camillus became the nursing home’s administrator, a role she held for 17 years.

“I found it hard in the beginning,” she said. “I so appreciated the one-on-one time I had as a physical therapist. As an administrator, I had to get up and go out for those one-on-one interactions.”

Eventually, though, she grew to appreciate the role.

“I was going back on memory lane the other day,” said Sister Camillus. “I honestly think one of the many, many blessings I’ve received is that I’ve always enjoyed everything I did. I loved physical therapy, liked administration. Now, I’m the coordinator of the convent. There are only two of us at this point, but God let me enjoy everything I did. I hope the people I worked with enjoyed me doing it.”

A New York City native, Sister Camillus said she joined the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas as a late vocation. She was 35.

“Only a few communities took someone that was 35,” she said. “I applied to two, one being the Sisters of Mercy.  They sent me a personal, welcoming letter and invited me up for a visit.”

Sister Camillus said she met with the community’s formation director and knew she had found where God was leading her.

“I remember sitting on the porch of their convent and talking to her,” Sister Camillus said. “She was so motherly and welcoming. When I walked in the door, it was home. A couple weeks later, I got a letter from the other community I had applied for. It was a form letter. The difference was striking.”

A lot has changed over the years in the community, Sister Camillus noted.

“We have different meetings,” she said. “When something comes up, it’s put to the group, and the group makes decisions. It used to be more top down directives. It’s more communal now.”

Through her time in community and working in long term care, Sister Camillus said God has blessed her with many “wonderful people.”

“I never met anyone I didn’t like, and nobody ever caused concerns,” she said. “I’ve been blessed with the people I associated with along the way – all of them.”

While in the community, she became friends with legendary singer Kate Smith.

“She used to call me ‘sis,’” Sister Camillus said. “She’d say, ‘ok, sis!’ She was very down to earth. She’d come have dinner with us.”

While Uihlein Mercy Center was under construction, the sisters lived in a small house near the grounds.

“It was Christmas eve, and we were going to have Mass in this tiny chapel,” she said. “Kate Smith came. We sang some hymns. For years, we used to talk about the time we sang with Kate Smith.”

In celebration of her birthday, a party was planned.

“I thought maybe I’d just sneak through the birthday, but that didn’t happen,” she said. “At first, I kept saying, ‘oh my gosh! Let’s keep it low.’ But then, I thought it’s a nice thing to be able to have a happy occasion. Why should I crush it? If people want to come and have a good time, why not?

“I’ll probably have a good time, too.”