Sr. Neomi Hayes, CCVI (1935 - 2017)
Sister Neomi grew up in a small Irish community in Tipperary, where there was a “common faith that God had a hand in everything,” and she has always felt that way. Certainly, joining the Incarnate Word Sisters seemed to be God’s plan for her.
The challenge to carry out that plan appeared huge at first. The Incarnate Word Sisters who recruited young women in Ireland gave the impression that the United States was a “mission territory” where the Gospel had to be preached for the first time. Eventually, of course, the young Neomi found out that the Church was well-established here.
Still, the way to reach the presumed unbelievers was through the ministries of education and health care. Sister Neomi chose education and even before finishing her B.A. degree at Incarnate Word College, she taught for a few years in grade schools in San Antonio and New Orleans. Eventually, she was assigned to Incarnate Word College.
She never wavered in her vocation: “I thought ‘this is how I want to spend my life’…I guess one of my main [goals in life] was union with God. Well, that’s a long [journey]. I’m still seeking union with God because that’s a lifelong process.”
Arriving in San Antonio, the young Neomi was shocked by the summer heat, which seemed unbearable since in those days there wasn’t air conditioning. Upon going to bed on the first night, she was puzzled why in America they “warmed the sheets” in summer like the Irish did in the winter for a cozy night’s rest. She soon discovered the truth – it was the South Texas heat.
Sister Neomi began her work at the College in the Registrar’s Office under the direction of Sr. Antoninus Buckley, a very gentle woman whose way of correcting someone was to suggest “there’s another way of doing that.”
Later, she worked in Student Life supervising the girls in Dubuis Hall, which she enjoyed. “It was fun for me to be with the girls. I mean, I was probably ten years older than most of them,” she remembers. “So, I always enjoyed hearing their stories and seeing what they liked. For instance, movies. They’d come back and tell me all about the movies. So, the girls themselves were like a little community in the dorm.”
But there were also tough times. “Many of the boyfriends of the girls signed up for Vietnam, or they got drafted at that time. [In some instances, the girls would] get word that they [the boyfriends] got hurt or maybe even got killed, and so that called on all of us to be really responsive to the girls and their families.”
The Second Vatican Council brought changes to the Church, including allowing Sisters to address local needs through a variety of ministries. Sr. Neomi joined Sr. Yolanda Tarango to address San Antonio’s crisis with the homeless, particularly single mothers with children. With the support of the Congregation and friends of the Incarnate Word Sisters, they purchased a house and a small apartment building to shelter some families, providing food and daycare and tutoring while the mothers got some stability and education. This she did for the second half of her ministry as a Sister with dedication, to her great satisfaction.
Additionally, Sr. Neomi worked with Sr. Dorothy Ettling to promote University of the Incarnate Word student awareness of and participation in remedying the hunger crisis in Africa. Sister Neomi also brought a wealth of experience to the Incarnate Word Sisters’ leadership team during her terms of office.
Listen to Sister Hayes explain relationships with friends and with those whom she served: