Mount Carmel Bluffs Welcomes the Newest BVM Residents
Since March of 2021, Mount Carmel Bluffs (MCB) has welcomed eight new BVM faces:
Spotlight: Katherine and Marcelia
We had the chance to visit with two of “newest” new residents: Kathrine “Katie” Heffernan and Marcelia Maglinte.
Katherine “Katie” Heffernan, BVM
Before coming to MCB, Katherine “Katie” Heffernan lived in Chicago and served as the director of social services at Fox River Hospital, London Memorial Hospital, and Barclay Hospital. In addition, she served on the Chicago Board of Education and as a care manager of special education. Katie retired from service in 2002. After almost 50 years in the “Windy City,” she has joined her sisters at MCB.
Katie shares that she has been “very pleasantly surprised” with her new place. The large, bright apartment already feels like home. Surprisingly, Katie did not desire a view of the Mississippi. In fact, she requested a west-side apartment. Since she had seen Lake Michigan daily, she felt someone else could enjoy the river view. She prefers to look out and feel the afternoon and evening sun. She says that she has also been on the lookout for wild turkeys.
Reconnecting with sisters and seeing the staff each day are some of her favorite things about MCB. She says the staff works hard to “make sure she is comfortable.” She really enjoys the MCB library and loves diving into the latest novels that are available. Currently, she is reading Tom Hank’s “Uncommon Type: Some Stories.”
On a recent trip to the Dubuque Museum of Art (DMA), Katie, an art lover, spotted a Grant Wood piece, “The Appraisal, 1931.” She admired it and spoke to a DMA employee about it. She says, “I saw it and I said, ‘How much for that piece?’ and he said, ‘Well, what will you give me? I said, ‘$25’ and he agreed. I couldn’t believe it!”
Welcome, Katie. May your days at MCB be filled with sunshine, fellowship, art, and literature . . . and maybe even a turkey or two.
Marcelia Maglinte, BVM
Before moving to MCB, Marcelia “Marcy” Maglinte spent her life as an elementary teacher, serving in Illinois, California, Spain, and Hawaii. With the exception of a few months of 2013 in Dubuque, Marcy has spent the last 20 years living in Kahului —a small town located in the heart of the island of Maui. Trading the West Maui Mountains for the Mississippi River Bluff has gone quite well.
Marcy has enjoyed her new home and shares, “So far I am doing fine at Mount Carmel Bluffs. I knew many of the sisters due to teaching with them or speaking to them at different senates or jubilee celebrations. What is amazing is the enormous structures that turned out to become Arbor, Vista, and Gables. We are blessed to have a wonderful place to live. I do enjoy going on excursions and plan to eventually do some other volunteer work when possible. I also like to do any arts and crafts projects. Right now, watching the rest of the structures being built is an education for me.”
Aloha, Marcy. May you find many opportunities for crafts, friendship, and fun.