Doyle, Sr. Margaret

Doyle, Sr. Margaret

sr margaret_doyle

Sister Margaret was born in Clonegal, Co. Carlow in 1921. She received her education in the national school in Clonegal and joined the Medical Missionaries of Mary in 1950.

She made her first profession of vows in 1953 and was assigned to the nursing home run by the MMM in Clonmel. She was responsible for the catering for both the residents and MMM postulants. For the next twenty-nine years, Margaret continued to provide catering services in Drogheda; in Airmount, the maternity hospital run by the MMMs in Waterford; and in Rosemount, the house of studies for Sisters in Dublin. She provided a welcome and a hot meal no matter what time the students and staff arrived.

In 1982 she was able to spend three months at our missions in Kenya, seeing the ministries of the Sisters for whom she had provided kindness and meals for so many years.

She was Sister-in-charge in Rosemount from 1983 to 1987. At that time it was a large community, including the postulants, novices, students, and other Sisters working in Dublin. She proved to be a wise and caring leader with a listening heart. She had a special concern for the poor, knew the neighbours, and many people in need received a regular hot dinner.

In 1988 she moved to the Artane community, on the north side of Dublin, where she continued to provide hospitality and home cooking for the Sisters and visitors. In 2006 she was asked to move with three other MMMs to a new community in Raheny.

Over the past few years her health began to decline and when she needed more nursing care, she quietly made plans to go to the Motherhouse in Drogheda for a short respite. At the same time she knew she was dying and her nieces, nephews, their children, and her other friends came to say good-by. Within a few days she slipped away on 22 April 2012.

For so many of us Margaret exemplified the hidden life, pondering the Word of God in her heart. She provided an understanding and listening ear to everyone, and those who were in community with her always headed for the kitchen for a chat with her when they came home. She was interested in our lives as we moved on and was someone we went to visit when we returned on leave. With her community in Raheny, we will miss her greatly.



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