Venerable Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory

Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory (January 21, 1893 – January 21, 1984) was an Ireland-born immigrant to the United States. She was a Roman Catholic religious sister who worked as an advocate for the impoverished elderly, founding a new religious congregation for this purpose, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm. Her cause for canonization has been opened, and her life has been acknowledged by the Holy See as one of heroic virtue. She is honored by the Catholic Church as venerable. Venerable Mother Angeline was born in the Townland of Clintycracken in Co. Tyrone. She was born into a devoutly Catholic Irish family. She was baptized Brigid Teresa McCrory in The Chapel of St. Brigid at Brockagh near the ruins of Mountjoy Castle in County Tyrone, Ireland. When she was seven years old, her family moved to Scotland and settled in Mossend, moving into a house beside Holy Family Church. There in Mossend, under Rev. Dean Cronin's direction, that the young Bridget McCrory began to receive her calling to religious life. She found herself attracted to the life of the Sisters who came begging alms for the aged and infirm men and women in their care. At the age of 9 or 10, on her own, she changed the spelling of her name from Brigid to Bridget due in part to her love of the French language. Bridget would often help the parish priest of Holy Family Mossend, Rev. Dean Cronin, by arranging the flowers that were always placed on the High Altar. Before she left for her train heading to France, she visited him. He gave her his blessing and told her to pick any book from his collection in the parish house. Closing her eyes, she chose ‘The life of St. Teresa of Avila.’ Only years later would she realize the significance of this moment as, like St. Teresa, she became a foundress in the Carmel Family.