Mary Sadlier (1820-1903)

Today also marks the death of early Catholic novelist Mary Sadlier. Born Mary Madden in County Cavan, Ireland, she was the daughter of a successful merchant. In 1844, she emigrated to Montreal where she married James Sadlier, a leading Catholic publisher. The family moved to New York in 1860. In Montreal, Mrs. Sadlier had already produced six novels. In New York, she became editor of the New York Tablet (no relation to the Brooklyn paper). Between 1860 and 1870, she authored twenty-three more books. After her husband’s death in 1869, she took over the publishing business, D. & J. Sadlier. None of Sadlier’s novels are ready today, but at the time they dealt with contemporary issues pertinent to Irish Catholics. She also translated devotional works from other languages. In addition to all of this, Sadlier was a philanthropist who orphanages and homes for the aged. In 1885, she returned to Montreal , where she remained until her death in 1903.