Marie Louise Kirkland

Sister Marie Louise (October 1899 – July 10, 1999) was a Roman Catholic nun and sports commentator in Washington, D.C. "Weezie" appeared on WUSA-TV with sportscaster Glenn Brenner.[1]

Marie Louise Kirkland
Born
Helen Kirkland

(1899-10-01)October 1, 1899
Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.
DiedJuly 10, 1999(1999-07-10) (aged 98)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation(s)Roman Catholic nun, television personality

Early life

Born in Washington, DC, to Rose Virginia Kreamer Kirkland (1858–1944) and William L. Kirkland (1848–1918), with siblings William Louis Kirkland (1892–1955) and Camille Rose Kirkland Fisher (1901–1982), she played basketball in high school in Montgomery County, Maryland.[2] She earned a degree from Immaculata College and worked as a courthouse clerk in Rockville, Maryland until her 30s. She entered Georgetown Visitation Monastery on January 5, 1935, and remained there as a semi-cloistered nun for the rest of her life. Although she initially worried that she'd have to give up sports, she was permitted to follow them avidly, especially her favorite, football.[3]

Career as a celebrity sports forecaster

DC sportscaster Glenn Brenner (see above) was a Roman Catholic who graduated from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, a Jesuit institution. When he heard from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School alumnae that Sister Marie Louise had a talent for sports predictions, he invited her to call into his "Mystery Prognosticator Contest" in 1989.[4] After she beat Brenner's other celebrity sports predictors including (according to her Washington Post obituary) "newscasters Dan Rather, Maureen Bunyan and Connie Chung; boxer Sugar Ray Leonard; actors William Shatner and Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens); members of the Temptations; and football stars Sonny Jurgensen and Mark Rypien -- People magazine and other publications came courting."[5] Brenner made her a regular, thanks to the permission of Mother Mary DeSales, who happened to be an avid fan of football, and the story was picked up internationally.[6] People magazine put her story on its cover. She won $1,000 for each correct prediction, and donated it all to Visitation school.

Washingtonian reporter Barbara Matusow wrote that when Glenn Brenner was dying prematurely at age 44 in the hospital, Sister Marie Louise was one of his last visitors along with fellow Channel 9 broadcaster Gordon Peterson.

For Peterson, the most emotional moment came during the appearance of a most unlikely visitor. As he was standing in the hall, he spotted Sister Marie Louise, one of Brenner's favorite 'Guest Prognosticators,' heading toward him. A cloistered nun at Georgetown Visitation, she had seldom been out of the convent since the 1930s. Brenner had once sought the intervention of church authorities to allow her to attend a Redskins game, but she wasn't permitted to go.

'How the hell did she get out?' Peterson wondered as she approached. 'Did she scale the wall?'

'Hi, Weezie,' Peterson said, hoping she wouldn't think he was too fresh for using her nickname.

'Hi, honey,' she answered. 'I'm praying for a miracle, and I better get one.'

Peterson motioned her inside.

'Hey, Glenn, Weezie's here,' he said softly. Suddenly, Brenner opened his eyes, made his trademark half-wink, half-grimace, and waved. Everyone in the room gasped.

Peterson fell apart. 'If it hadn't been for someone holding me up, I would have passed out. I think I'm getting more spiritual as I get older, but I honestly sensed the presence of God in the room at that moment.'[7][8][9][10]

Sister Kirkland was included in the comments of Rep. Constance Morella (R-MD), when she paid tribute to Glenn Brenner on the floor of the U. S. House of Representatives: "Whether it was his `Weenie of the Week’ award, his constant pranks, or his guest football progniscator interviews, Glenn kept it light. Who can forget his wonderful interviews with Sister Marie Louise, classics in the annals of Washington broadcasting."[11]

References
  1. Hendrickson, Paul (25 November 1989). "Sister Marie Louise Explains It All...: How an 89-Year-Old Georgetown Nun Became the Number One Pigskin Prognosticator Sister Marie Louise". The Washington Post. p. C1.
  2. "Marie Louise Kirkland Dies at 98". The Washington Post. July 12, 1999.
  3. Holliday, Johnny; Moore, Stephen (2002). Johnny Holliday: From Rock to Jock. Champaign, Illinois: Sports Publishing, Simon & Schuster. pp. 211–212. ISBN 9781613215401.
  4. Levy, Claudia (13 July 1999). "Nun's Habit Was Picking NFL Winners". The Ottawa Citizen.
  5. "Marie Louise Kirkland Dies at 99". The Washington Post. July 12, 1999.
  6. Borger, Julian (July 12, 1999). "TV Nun Football Pundit Makes Final Touchdown". The Guardian. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  7. Matusow, Barbara (October 1992). "Life After Glenn: Glenn Brenner Was 44 and Very Funny. Then He Collapsed After Running a Marathon. This Is the Story of His Shocking Death and How Gordon Peterson and Channel 9 Coped With Losing One of the City's Most Popular Personalities". Washingtonian.
  8. Shales, Tom (15 January 1992). "Appreciation; The Guy Who Had a Ball; Glenn Brenner, Making Us All Laugh". The Washington Post.
  9. Shapiro, Leonard (15 January 1992). "Glenn Brenner Succumbs to Brain Tumor at 44; Sportscaster's Irreverent Humor Made Him a Local Institution". The Washington Post.
  10. Solheim, Tracy (2014). Risky Game. Sun Home Productions. p. 294. ISBN 9781949270044.
  11. Morrella, Constance (22 January 1992). "We All Miss Our Pal, Glenn Brenner". Congressional Record, House, January 03-February 04, 1992. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. p. 151.
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