Irene Marie Kelemen was born on January 17, 1916 at her grandparent’s home in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents and grandparents originally came from Hungary. Six weeks after Irene’s birth her mother, Julia (Toth) Kelemen, returned with her to their home in Annapolis Maryland. Her father, Francis Kelemen, had been in the Naval Academy Band. He also had a barber shop and pool hall at the time.

Irene was the oldest daughter of the family. After the birth of her younger sister, Ruth, the family moved to Detroit where her father became a member of the Detroit Symphony. A few years later they moved to Los Angeles where her father played as a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. After one season he became homesick for the East and the family moved to Cincinnati where her father played with the symphony and the opera.

Irene attended Catholic schools in Ohio and California. When her father re-enlisted in the Naval Academy Band and moved the family back to Annapolis, Irene finished her education in public high school.

Irene began piano lessons at the age of five. She began studying art at the Cincinnati Art Museum in 7th grade. When the family moved to New York she continued to study sculpture and drawing. She continued her art work until World War II when she had to discontinue. She never took it up again.

Later the family moved back to California where Mr. and Mrs. Kelemen owned and operated a restaurant. Irene worked for them. She was an avid bicyclist, biking about 10,000 miles before she entered religious life. She collected stamps, and dabbled in photography. She also served as sacristan for her church, attending Mass daily. In 1940 she joined the Women’s Ambulance and Defense Corps of America. She was a member for four and a half years. When the family sold the restaurant Irene felt free to follow her vocation.

Irene had contact with the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration through the magazine and correspondence department. She even made donations toward the building of the Kansas City monastery which would later be her home.

At the age of thirty-three Irene entered Clyde as a postulant on Dec. 7, 1949. She entered the novitiate Sept. 8, 1950. On Sept. 15, 1951 she made her monastic profession of vows and received the name Sr. Mary Mercedes, in honor of Our Lady of Mercy.

Sr. Mercedes was transferred to Kansas City in 1954. She returned to Clyde briefly to prepare for perpetual vows, then it was back to Kansas City until it closed. Sr. Mercedes wrote, “I stayed in Kansas City for 27 years. They had to sell the monastery to get me out."

While in Kansas City Sr. Mercedes learned to play both classical guitar and the bass viol. She kept her guitar playing as a personal hobby, though several sisters had the pleasure of listening to her play. Often in the afternoon soft sounds of beautiful music could be heard near her room. When it came to playing the bass, she happily used her skills to enhance our worship.

After we closed our house in Kansas City, Sr. Mercedes moved to San Diego in December of 1984. She remained there until 1992 when it closed and then she transferred to St. Louis. In 2001 Sister moved to Our Lady of Rickenbach in Clyde.

Sr. Mercedes had a delightful sense of humor and an insatiable curiosity. No one came or went in the monastery without Sr. Mercedes being there to wave hello or good-bye. She was a one person welcoming committee. The first by the bulletin board when a new note went up, she seemed to have an instinct for being in the right place at the right time to see and hear the latest news.

Sister worked in the vestry, the craft shop, kitchen, and the altar bread department. In the Kansas City monastery she had charge of the bells and the sound system. She enjoyed walking and other exercise.

Sr. Mercedes appreciated beauty, art, classical music and good books. She wrote about our Kansas City sanctuary, “It was the most exquisite chapel in the Congregation in its utter simplicity. ”

More than anything she had a deep and abiding love for special twinkle in her eye and a sparkle in her smile. It made her both perceptive and compassionate.

Sr. Mercedes lived with a heart condition for many years. It slowed her down in later years, but never kept her down. On October 27, 2008 she was being taken to morning Mass in her wheel chair when she seemed to have sudden pain and discomfort. She was taken back to her room and helped to bed. As soon as she was settled, she breathed her last. Our nurse, Pat Lahoda, was with her.

The Mass of Christian Burial was Wednesday, October 28th at 7:30 in the morning. Fr. Benedict Neenan of Conception Abbey was the presider.