Irene’s life was a very unique one. She was born on February 20, 1929, the fourth child of Lorence and Elizabeth Daniels. Theirs was a very loving and caring family of four brothers and six sisters. Early in life, she learned what it meant to share one’s possessions with others in need. Both parents shared their earthly goods with the poor who lived in the village of Athens, Wisconsin.
When Irene was in the eighth grade, Father Norman Thomas saw in her a calling to the religious life. One day in March, he told Sister to send Irene to the rectory as he wanted to talk to her, so Irene went, not knowing what the pastor wanted. Surprised at his words and encouragement, Irene began thinking seriously about life and the future. After many prayers, she realized Father was right and began looking at different communities.
During the summer, the School Sisters of St. Francis taught catechism in Dorchester, only a short distance from Athens. Since her aunt, Ann Sauter, lived next door to the church and Irene’s family visited there quite often, Irene began noticing how happy and free the sisters were. This convinced her that this was the community to which she wanted to be a member. On August 30, 1943, at 14 years of age, Irene left her wonderful family for the School Sisters of St. Francis.
On entry, Irene’s height was 5’3” and she weighed 103 pounds. Mother Corona was very concerned about the weight, but she soon found out that Irene was very energetic and always in some kind of trouble, laughing and talking in the wrong places. Her voice carried and wasn’t music to many a sister’s ears. So, many dishes got washed and floors scrubbed as a reminder to improve. Nothing, however, could dim her spirit and love of life.
Days and years moved by quickly and Reception Day appeared on the horizon, June 13, 1946. Oh, what a wonderful day! The name given at the altar was Sister Mary Davidia, which meant, “Little David.” She was thrilled with the name, but that evening when all the novices had to say their names for Mother Corona, not all went well. See, there was an accent above the “di” which gave the name a harsh sound. So, when it came time to say her name, she objected to the accented “di.” After a polite discussion, Mother Corona gave in and told Mother Clemens to erase the accent mark in favor of the more melodious sound Davidia. This made Irene extremely happy.
The two years in the novitiate passed very rapidly and it was time to make a commitment to the School Sister community. On June 21, 1948, Irene committed herself to love the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience for one full year. During that summer, she was one of the few sisters to be sent out on mission. Her first assignment was St. Matthias School in Chicago, teaching first grade. It was the beginning of many happy years serving God’s people.
There are many, many stories of her years in the field that make her a “rebel” in the true sense of the word. God let her enjoy life to the fullest and get away with many of her shenanigans. The vows were renewed yearly on June 21 during the following years: 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, and final vows in 1954. At last, Sister Davidia was a true member of the School Sisters of St. Francis.
Sister spent 14 years teaching in the state of Illinois and 32 in Wisconsin. Twelve of those years, besides teaching, she held the position of principal. Her philosophy of education was to provide a Catholic environment in which each and every child could develop his or her potential as a total person. The children would be provided with learning experiences leading to a lifelong respect for themselves, their environment, and God. Her goal for the students was to become productive members within their community.
Irene’s hobbies were art therapy, painting, calligraphy, drawing, designing, and ceramics. In her retirement years, she had time to continue with her hobbies, and share what she had learned and created with others. She moved to Our Lady of the Angels in 2016.