Saundra Kennedy
In a letter dated January 18, 1985, and written by Sister Catherine Addy, Provincial of the Holy Cross Sisters USA Province, Saundra was welcomed as the first official co-member of the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross, USA Province. The name of the program has since changed to Associate Program.
This year Saundra celebrates her 25th year in association with the Holy Cross community. Saundra considers it a real honor to have been the first co-member of the Holy Cross Sisters. “Meeting the sisters in Merrill, getting to know the community, learning about the history of the Congregation, their vision, charism and mission, I have felt very much at home. I believe that meeting the Congregation was God’s invitation for me to reconnect with something deep within me. It was and continues to be an invitation to share my gifts as I, with the rest of the Congregation, stand on the shoulders of all those who have come before us, continuing together the work of building the Reign of God.”
Saundra was born in Tampa, Florida, on November 4, 1952, to Percy and Mary (Scafidi) Kennedy, the third of five children. She spent most of her years growing up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in a little town called Bay St. Louis. She attended Catholic schools throughout her life and attended St. Mary’s Dominican College and Loyola University, both in New Orleans. She received her doctorate in education from Columbia University, New York, and doctorate in religion from Union Theological Seminary, also in New York City. She was a teacher for 15 years and, after 17 years in sales with William H. Sadlier, Inc. on Wall Street, was promoted to Sadlier’s National Religion Consultant. 
Saundra recently became interested in prison ministry after visiting the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, and participating in a Kairos retreat over a year ago. She learned a lot from Sister Linda Songy about the needs of these women and the importance of ministering to them spiritually. She has also been a member of the board of directors of NACAR (the North American Conference of Associates and Religious), where she represents the Holy Cross Sisters on the national level. She is also a member of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in New Orleans, where she is a lector and serves on the Pastoral Council. 
Saundra was asked what some of the significant highlights from the past 25 years as an associate were, “Seeing the province change, evolve, stumble, recover, become smaller, grow, and remain hopeful. I’ve felt enriched by my association with something much bigger than I am. I am well aware of how blessed I am to have been even a small part of the Congregation’s ministry, history and future. It’s been a graced part of my own journey of life for which I am very grateful.”
