Mary Frawley was born in Elmira, NY, the fifth of six children. With four older brothers and a younger sister, she was a self-described “tomboy” who felt it necessary to keep up with her brothers. After high school she had plans to go to art school, and her steady boyfriend had plans to marry her. But things don’t always go according to our plans. She felt called by the Lord to join the convent.
Sister Claire, as she became known, stayed in upstate New York and taught school for 34 years. One year she decided to take the high school students on a trip to Hidden Valley Adventure Park in the Adirondacks, but in order to do so they needed to raise money for the trip. Sister Claire arranged for a flatbed truck to be parked in a local park. The truck served as a stage for the students and their bands to play a concert to benefit their trip! Sister Clair was pictured in the newspaper—sitting in the stands, wearing her habit.
After Sister Claire retired from teaching, she moved to California to be closer to her sister. That first week in California, she came to know a young girl who was living in her car with her son. Sister Claire brought them to her home. The next day she took the young boy out to buy some shoes. The day after that she took them both and rented a house for them to move into. This one homeless mother became two, which became three, and by the end of the month the house was full. Over the next 30 years Sister Claire had nine different homes which housed over 7,000 homeless or abused mothers and their children. These homes provided a stable environment to help the women find jobs and give the children a chance to get an education.
At 83, Sister Claire retired again and moved to be closer to her nieces. We are thrilled that she has come to be with us here at Inova Loudoun Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Inova Loudoun Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Leesburg