Sister Mary Xavier speaks softly today as our community’s Provincial Vicar and in looking after our older Sisters.
Jeanne in 1987
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A Soft-Spoken Voice
That Still Echoes
jeanne madej | st. francis academy (bethlehem) 1987
Our alumnae honor the Sisters who touched their lives back then and who they consider to have been especially influential in who they are now.
Originally Published on March 7, 2021
THE WAY IT WAS THEN
“Sister Xavier was the principal of St. Francis Academy in Bethlehem, Pa. (SFA), where I was part of the last graduating class in 1987. Throughout my life, I have looked back upon my days at SFA with fondness for the special place it was. Sister Xavier was the matriarch of that special academy. She always treated the girls with love and respect and taught us that sometimes speaking more quietly rather than yelling louder over the noise around — and there was a lot at an all-girls school — is the most effective way to be heard. I can still picture her saying, “Girls, girls, girls” in ever-quieter tones to get our attention amid the chaos.
Although I have not always been able to remember that lesson in moments when I most need it, I do often reflect on how much more effective I might have been had I employed her lessons. I am still influenced by her kind manner, calm demeanor and love 34 years after having graduated. What a gift!”
THE WAY IT IS now
Retired from a career in finance, Jeanne lives in New York City with her husband and two children, ages 15 and 12. Sister Mary Xavier went on to serve at general minister of the Sisters’ international congregation, as well as in other ministerial roles. After spending several years caring for the elder Sisters at Villa Clare, she was elected Provincial Vicar in 2021. She lives at Monocacy Manor in Bethlehem, Pa.
Jeanne as an SFA cheerleader
Sister Mary Xavier remains quiet among the chaos of an SFA day
Sister Mary Xavier in her days as SFA principal