by Tim Scanlon
Special to The Leaven
LEAVENWORTH — There was no need for luck to draw a big crowd to this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Leavenworth March 17. The clear bright weather and the Irish-American grand marshal — Sister of Charity Sister Anita Sullivan — were more than enough.
The day began the traditional Irish way with a 9 a.m. Mass at Immaculate Conception Parish in Leavenworth, or “the old cathedral” as Leavenworth residents know it. The parish is the ancestral home of Leavenworth’s Irish.
The parade started at noon and followed the traditional parade route through the downtown. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee was expecting more than 26 entries.
It was that committee that had chosen Sister Anita as the grand marshal; she is celebrating her 75th Jubilee as a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth this year. A lovely and lively Irish-American, she has a wonderful Irish family history and a personal history of service to community — especially in education. She is a first-generation American, the eighth and youngest child of Michael Sullivan and Annie O’Sullivan. Her parents immigrated as single adults, and although both happened to hail from County Cork, Ireland, they met after emigrating to the United States.
Sister Anita’s father, Michael, came from a copper mining family. His father was badly injured in a mining accident, resulting in the loss of a leg. The supply of copper ore in the mines in Ireland was depleted, but it was known that copper mining was flourishing in Butte, Montana. Their father put four teenage children on a ship to the United States, and the Butte, Montana, copper mines were Michael’s destination.
Her mother, Annie O’Sullivan, grew up in Castletown-Bearhaven, County Cork. Annie and her three sisters came to this country through Ellis Island. The four settled in Leadville, Colorado. Later, Annie and Kate moved to Butte. Annie and Michael met there, and were married, appropriately enough, at St. Patrick Church in Butte.
Michael worked in the copper mines, but when he developed health problems, he was moved to work “on the top” and later was employed at the courthouse. Michael died of miner’s consumption when Anita was only three.
Anita, her two sisters and five brothers grew up celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, which is “a big day with a big parade” in Butte, she said. They were all educated by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth in both elementary and high school. After high school, Anita came to Saint Mary College, was there for a year and decided to enter the order.
Sister Anita spent 57 years in elementary education, both as a teacher and in administration. She was principal of Xavier Primary School for six years and spent eight years in administration at Xavier Elementary and Immaculata High School.
The 2026 Grand Marshal said she is proud of her Irish heritage and has been fortunate enough to visit Ireland four times. She has 27 nieces and nephews — most in Butte — and four of her nieces came from Montana to celebrate her big day in Leavenworth.
This year’s honoree is but one of a long line of Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth of Irish descent. Out of all the original Sisters that came from Nashville circa 1858, 11 were Irish, as was a novice, a postulant and an orphan who arrived with them.
Sister Anita said she was deeply grateful for the honor and proud to celebrate her Irish roots with the Leavenworth community.
In turn, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee was equally delighted she agreed to accept the role of grand marshal of the 43rd annual Leavenworth St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
