Dwyer, Mary Agnes

• Sister Agnes Dwyer, SOS

Born 14 October 1904 in Townsend, Ontario; daughter of Daniel Joseph Dwyer and Elizabeth O’Mahony; entered 21 January 1931; first vows 15 August 1932; final vows 15 August 1938; died 10 April 1978.

Agnes grew up in the southwestern Ontario farming area of Norfolk County. While attending high school in Wallaceburg, Ontario and later in Penetanguishene, Ontario, she lived with her mother's relatives. Following graduation from the Provincial Normal School in London, Ontario in 1923, Agnes returned to Penetanguishene as a teacher. An article about the Sisters of Service in The Catholic Register prompted her to write a letter of inquiry to the Toronto Motherhouse in 1927. Enthusiastic about teaching in Western Canada, she delayed entering until January 1931 when her family financial responsibilities were satisfied and a younger sister's tuberculosis stabilized.

After professing first vows on August 15, 1932 in the novitiate chapel, Sister Dwyer's desire was realized with a series of rural teaching appointments in the prairie provinces. She taught in St. Bride's Alberta from 1932 to 1934. Posted to Camp Morton, Manitoba (1934-1939), she combined teaching with the duties as superior and took final vows on August 15, 1938. Moving to teach at Bergfield, Saskatchewan (1939-1943), she travelled to nearby Diamond Crossing (1943-1945). Each summer, Sister Dwyer attended summer school to upgrade her teaching certificates and was awarded a permanent first class certificate. After 13 years of teaching, Sister Dwyer applied many of her instructional skills as director and superior of the religious correspondence school in Fargo, North Dakota (1945-1948)

At the 1948 Chapter and with her administrative ability and experience, Sister Dwyer was elected as a member of the General Council (1948-1954), and appointed as Assistant Novice Mistress. During this appointment, she developed and wrote a program for novices, based on the spirituality of St. Alphonsus, and trained younger sisters in catechetical instruction. Moreover, she also acted as a consultant to the community's correspondence schools in Edmonton and Regina to improve and update programs of religious instruction to children. For the proceedings in the First Canadian Religious Congress in 1954, she presented a paper, entitled “Occasions of Encroachment upon Religious Life in the Apostolate.”

At the next Chapter, she was re-elected to the General Council (1954-1960) and appointed Novice Mistress. In the 1960 Chapter, she was elected as Sister General and recognized the importance of the Second Vatican Council. Sister Dwyer arranged for sisters to attend lectures and colloquiums to hear perspectives of the changes in religious life. Under the council’s directives, religious communities were mandated to review and reassess their way of life and programs while remaining faithful to the essence of religious life and the history and development of each community. Under Sister Dwyer’s leadership, a new design of uniform in a modern classic style replaced the longer grey dress.

After a six-year term as Sister General, Sister Dwyer returned to religious education, stationed at the catechetical mission in Nelson, BC (1966-1969) and was appointed superior in 1967. Due to ill health, Sister Dwyer moved to the Regina correspondence school (1969-1973) and retired to Camp Morton for the next three years until 1976. A final move in 1976, she joined the retired Sisters at the Niagara Retirement Manor, St. Catharines, Ontario. She died on April 10, 1978 in Hotel Dieu Hospital in that city. The funeral mass was held in the Motherhouse chapel and her body was buried in the community's plot in Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.

Created by F Rousselle June 25, 2025.
Revised by F Rousselle June 27, 2025.

Biographical sketch adapted for brevity from complete biography written by SOS congregational archivist MC Havey.