Sister Cor Immaculatum Heffernan, IHM

“Life on a Grand Scale”

All of us seem to live our lives on a certain scale. Sister Cor Immaculatum has lived her life on a “grand scale.” That is because of her family’s wealth – spiritually, intellectually and financially. Her father was a member of the New York Stock Exchange but those years included 1929 – the year of the stock market crash. At one point, her family lived in a small community on the Jersey shore and the parents – during summers – jointly funded bringing in the staff to help the children put on a musical that was performed at a nearby hotel – but the shows raised over $20,000 for the town’s hospital! Her story reminds me of the many people we recognize with the IHM Spirit Award annually – people who use much of their wealth responsibly and for the good of society.

Cor was born Maureen Patricia in NYC. Part of a very close family, she’s the second of 6 children of John and Marie Haiss Heffernan. The Heffernans made sure their children were immersed in the arts only found in that city. They visited art and history museums often. Each visit only focused on one object, painting, location or period of time. Assisted by a docent, they left with a much deeper knowledge – one item at a time. They attended shows on Broadway and concerts at such locations as the Met. Most importantly, they did these things as a family. Much of that “grand scale” life for the Heffernans was the norm. More importantly, Cor had good Catholic parents who both provided for and enriched the lives of their children as well as modeled for them that they should also be generous with what they had and share it with those whose lives were not as well blessed while not needing to be publicly rewarded for their generosity.

When Maureen was 5, her family moved to Forest Hills where she met the IHMs at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs grade school. She found the IHMs joyful and great teachers. She got to also know them outside the classroom. Though she dated regularly, she knew she had a vocation. She only had IHMs in grade school but at entrance her sponsor was Sister Zita Marie who’d been corresponding with Maureen all along and nurturing her vocation.

Sister Cor Immaculatum with her sculpture, Mary, Woman of the Eucharist

Maureen came to Marywood and lived in Regina Hall (getting up at 1:00 am to participate in the 24-hour rosary in the Rotunda)! Her parents had only one request – get your degree before you enter! However, Maureen discovered that if she did two years before she entered, she could complete her third year as a postulant and graduate as a senior novice! She earned a degree in English/Sociology. After her first profession, she taught at St. Ann’s High School in West Scranton as well as taught art in the grade school. Next, she taught in Kingston before she became both the director of vocations and the art supervisor! She would give vocation talks at the schools she visited as art supervisor. As Bishops Hannan and Klonowski and West Catholic High Schools were all going through Middle States, Cor spent a year teaching art at those schools. Then, she returned to congregation ministry as the director of the on-going formation program – preparing the junior sisters for final vows and the transfer sisters for incorporation into the IHMs.

Most of us associate Cor with the Art Department at Marywood – both as department chair and one of its professors from 1978 through 2009. During this time, she was encouraged to focus on her degree area – sculpture!

Involved in spiritual direction since her time in formation, it became the focus of her ministry in 2009 and it’s taken her to service on both a national and international scale – including work with Mother (Saint) Teresa of Calcutta and the Missionaries of Charity – often in partnership with her dear friend – Msgr. John Esseff.