Bridget Mary Sullivan was born December 21, 1894 at Caherbornaugh, Waterville, Ireland. As the middle child of ten, she grew up in rural surroundings in the midst of a happy family, who did everything together - play, work and pray.

At the age of 17 she came to the United States where an aunt and one of her sisters were already living in Chicago. She worked in a hotel for ten years and as cashier in a restaurant earning an income which helped support her sister's family and pay for Fr. Kelly's seminary education. When her sister's husband died, Bridget became the chief wage earner for the family. She recalled in later years that she used to love to play jokes at work. "Nobody ever thought I would go to the convent, because when I was in public, I always had lots of fun and I would joke with them and all. I always got along, really and truly.”

Bridget was a Franciscan tertiary and had contact with the Poor Clares when she learned about Clyde from a magazine article. An interview with Mother M. Dolorosa at Mundelein helped convince her to enter at Clyde in 1932.

Of her first experiences at Clyde, Sr. M. Constantia reminisced: "As a postulant, after only 2 or 3 days, I was sent to work in kitchen. One day Sister had me put the milk pot on - I let it boil over. Another time I had to grind the coffee. I didn't close the grinder tight and the coffee went all over the floor. After about 4 1/2 years I came to the infirmary kitchen. In the big kitchen I couldn't do anything but make trouble, so how could I cook? But when I got into it, it was all right. Then I was asked to help on 2nd floor infirmary, and how could I do that as I didn't know anything about caring for the sick. But that turned out alright too, and I am still here and I thank God for everything." Sister, at least in retrospect, was always able to see the humorous side of difficult side of circumstances. 

"We had to go and get coal at 3:30 in the morning. Sister Hildegard was the greatest one for making toast for all the Sisters. She wanted to be good to them. But try and make toast with a black coal fire! Of course we had to make a stack of toast, because we had the novitiate then and we used to all eat well, and I was a big eater myself. Then I would be just like a drowned rat from sweating, and I would go to church like that. I thought that was what I had to do."

Then there were the floors: "I used to get down on the floor and go all around on my knees. They used to wax the floor in those days with the wax Sisters M. Seraphia and Anastasia made. It was that old rough wax and we would have all those 'witches' on the floor. It would be simply fierce-and that was my office - cleaning up - but it didn't hurt me one bit. I can just laugh now."

Sister pronounced her first vows on October 27, 1934, and her perpetual vows on January 27, 1940. Her gracious warmth and Irish wit helped brighten the days of all she served in the infirmary at Clyde during the many years that followed, and she remained at Clyde until coming to the Health Care Center in St. Louis. As an infirmarian, Sr. M. Constantia was cheerful, kind, and treated the Sisters she served as Christ.

The hardest thing for Sister was what God asked of her at the end of her life. As she told Father, "It's so hard to be the patient." She had to experience being out of control, being cared for, feeling unable to contribute as God completed His work in her. 

After a fall in mid-November, she stated she was going to die and asked for a priest. Fr. Wilfrid Tunink, OSB was in the house for Eucharist and he went over and anointed her. She became more peaceful that day, but the struggle continued. During the last  three weeks she grew weaker and talked about wanting to die and go home to Ireland and said she was ready for Jesus to come.

Sr. Hilda Mary was with her the last hour of her life reading the Exercises of St. Gertrude and the prayers of the dying. Sr. M. Constantia just breathed more and more slowly and slipped away quietly in the last hour of the year of our Lord 1986. She looked very peaceful.

In addition to Fr. Kelly of Highland Park, Illinois, who celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial, her sister, Julia Hanson and Father Kelly's sister, Mary Williamson, were present for the liturgy. The vigil service the evening before took on the character of an Irish wake as Mary and Julia added their reminiscences. From the hint of a smile on Sr. M. Constantia's lips one could suspect that she too was enjoying the humor of some of the comments. Both Julia, who is 88, and Mary were in wheelchairs, but Julia especially showed a wit that delighted everyone. They recalled how a gentleman, who played the horses and "the numbers" regularly sent part of his winnings to Sister, for whom he had a special place in his heart. Julia added "he seemed to have a gimmick with God that worked."

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for her at 8:30 A.M. on January 3, 1987, after which her body was transferred to her beloved Clyde. The Eucharist was offered for her on Monday, January 5th followed by burial in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.

With Sr. M. Constantia we can repeat the words of Isaiah from the first reading at her last liturgy in our midst:

"Behold our God to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"