(7/1/1932 ~ 8/11/2012)
A Sister of Mercy for 62 Years!
Sister Mary Irene Burns was born July 1, 1932, in Lawler, IA, to Edwin and Irene (Meyer) Burns. She attended school in Lawler and then graduated from Mount Mercy Academy in Cedar Rapids in 1950. Following graduation, she entered the Sisters of Mercy Community in Cedar Rapids. She received a bachelor's degree in history from Mount Mercy College.
Sister Irene's lifelong ministry of teaching music, reading and working in education administration took her all over Iowa, as well as Montana. In between her years of teaching, Sister Irene earned her master's degree in reading and psychology from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wis. She retired from full-time teaching in 2001, but she continued to tutor students at the Catherine McAuley Center in Cedar Rapids. She also served as an assistant archivist for the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community at Sacred Heart Convent in Cedar Rapids.