Maryknoll Sister Madeline Dorsey

Sister Madeline Dorsey a few years ago in El Salvador

Maryknoll Sister Madeline Dorsey is a true guiding light. At age 96, she is retired from active ministry but still going strong. “My bedroom is my chapel, in my favorite chair, in prayer,” says Sister Madeline, who has served in six countries over the course of her 78 years as a Maryknoll Sister. She now focuses her energy on prayer, especially for the people of her beloved El Salvador. She’s not alone in her determination to remain a critical part of her community’s mission even if she can’t be an active part of the ministries that span the globe. “We want to be involved as much as possible,” Sister Madeline says of her fellow elderly sisters now focused on prayer. “Our concern for the poor is uppermost; so we pray, we are aware…yes, aware even at 95 plus.” When Sister Madeline was honored with a Doctor of Humane Letters from Le Moyne College in Syracuse a few years ago, the administration said, “Sister Maddie not only symbolizes a generation of extraordinary religious women; she herself serves as an example of creative generosity for us all—as a nurse, as a teacher…and now as she serves the Spanish-speaking community in New Haven. Her many accomplishments combined with her winning smile and sense of humor, make Sister Maddie a worthy role model for Le Moyne students who will face their own extraordinary challenges in this new century.” For those lucky college students, Sister Madeline will have taught them that aging doesn’t have to mean declining, so long as they continue to seek out people and opportunities that will benefit from their experience and satisfy their longings to be needed, involved and valued.