Margaret Mary Healy-Murphy (May 4, 1833 – August 25, 1907) was an Irish immigrant to the United States. She and her family crossed the Atlantic Ocean and eventually moved westward from West Virginia to Mexico and Texas before the Civil War. She lived in Corpus Christi until her mid-fifties. After the death of her husband, she embarked on her life’s vocation. Murphy went to San Antonio and founded the first congregation of Roman Catholic religious sisters in Texas. She is also known for founding the first free and private school for African Americans in San Antonio. Throughout her life, she helped the poor and reached out to help African Americans and Mexican Americans.
Murphy was the oldest of four children and was born and raised in Cahirciveen, Ireland. Murphy was a relative of Daniel O’Connell who worked politically to end slavery through the British Parliament system. Her mother died when Murphy was five. Her father was a doctor who helped the poor in the neighboring regions of Cahirciveen. Bed Bug Exterminator San Antonio
After the death of her mother, Mary and Johanna Murphy, her aunts, helped take care of the children. After the Act of Union, Ireland became severely impoverished and some of the families decided to emigrate. Most of the family came to work on a farm in West Virginia, however, her sister, Jeannie Healy went to a boarding school in Namur. Murphy, then only six, wanted to stay with her father who did not want to emigrate at the time. She did and was enrolled in a school in Ireland that gave her a solid educational foundation. Murphy’s father later volunteered to be a ship’s physician on a ship emigrating to the United States.
Murphy traced the origin to her vocation to build a school for African Americans to a sermon given by Father John Maloney on May 29, 1887, at Saint Mary’s Church in San Antonio, Texas. The sermon encouraged people to help develop schools to teach black children in the city. Murphy told her friend, “This will be my work someday; it is the great need of this time. The Holy Spirit has helped me to make this decision.”
Restaurants and Pubs
- Oasis Mexican Café is located at 210 McCullough Ave, San Antonio, TX
- Yard House is located at 849 E Commerce St #409, San Antonio, TX
- Espuelas – Th Bar at The Bridge is located at 306 Austin St, San Antonio, TX
- Maddy McMurphy’s Irish Sports Bar is located at 420 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX
Check out other neighborhoods like Mission Del Lago