Sister Agnes, Alice Donohue, was born in Camphire, Ireland, in 1852. She was educated at the Convent of the Sisters of Mercy, where two aunts and a cousin were members of that community. It was her intention to enter the sisters of Mercy, but the death of her sister, the only member of the family remaining with the parents, made a change of plans necessary. She came to America with her parents about 1861, intending to enter a convent somewhere here. Her brothers had taken up a tract of land fro the government in Oakland County ten miles west of Pontiac. This land for miles was taken up by Irish Settlers and called Dublin Square. Siste's uncle and cousin with a few others hewed the logs in his woods for the first church west of Detroit, Sacred Heart Chapel, known to the people as the "little Dublin Church."

Alice made inquires about Sisterhoods in America. Through missionaries she learned of the Monroe Community then about twenty years in existence. They took her to visit Reverend Mother and on June 3, 1869, she came to stay. Sister never saw he father again as the had a stroke and never walked again. She was a good writer and did beautiful needlework, as that was one thing she had been taught to perfection in Ireland. She went to a little country school and wrote models for others.

In her twenty-two years of teaching, chiefly at Holy Trinity and Our Lady of Help missions, Sister Agnes was a powerful influence in making her pupils strong Christians and worthy citizens of this world and the next. Her niece, a member of our community relates the following incident. "When reverend Father Milet, S.J. came to Holy Redeemer to see Sister Mildred before leaving for china, Sister introduced me as Sister Agnes' niece. He said at once,"there are hopes for other priests for China. Sister Agnes was a real teacher and made me what I am, a priest of God. I hope she will share in my work there."

Sister Agnes Died at the MotherHouse on October 10, 1891.

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