Ethna “Essie” McKiernan – Honored Alum

Minnesota poet and social advocate, Ethna McKiernan was honored this past summer by her High School – Visitation School, Mendota Heights, MN.

Excerpt from Visitation School Vision! newsletter:

The Visitation Alumnae Board honored Essie McKiernan ‘69 posthumously as the 2023 Distinguished Alumna on August 11, 2023. Essie’s sister Nuala McKiernan Rosensteel ‘66 spoke at the event, celebrating Essie’s legacy as a poet and an advocate for the homeless. Essie shared her heart and talents with the world in the everyday moments of life. She had a strong and lasting relationship with Sister Peronne Marie; the two shared a great love of poetry. Essie offers to us an example of what it means to live out the Vis motto non scholae sed vitae. The alumnae community is grateful for Essie’s many contributions to her classmates and community.