Kay MacDonald
Katherine (Kay) MacDonald (1931 – 31 August 2018) was a Canadian religious figure who, at the time of her appointment as president of the International Union of Superiors General, was the highest ranking woman in the Catholic Church. Her career started at a small Catholic Academy in Saskatchewan, Canada and led her to a variety of senior positions across Canada, in Rome, and in Israel. MacDonald focused her career on fighting antisemitism in the Catholic Church and improving relationships between Christian and Jewish populations. MacDonald's life and career has been documented by the National Film Board of Canada in a 2000 documentary co-production between the NFB and Four Square Productions Canada Ltd. Early life MacDonald was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1931 as the daughter of two rural school teachers from Prince Edward Island. She was the youngest child of her family and had four brothers: Ron, Jack, Cyril, and Bob. Her brother Cyril MacDonald was a political figure in Saskatchewan. MacDonald attended St. Joseph's Elementary School as a child and Sion Academy for high school. Religious career Early years On graduating high school, MacDonald spent two years in the novitiate of the Sisters of Sion before going to university.