Sr. Veronica Cawley MMM died peacefully on September 11th, 2025, at the VNA on Highland Senior Residence. In the time up to her death she was surrounded by family, MMM Sisters, and friends who loved her.

Sr. Veronica Cawley, affectionately known as Ronnie, comes from Jamaica Plain, a part of greater Boston, MA, USA. She was part of an Irish Catholic family of eleven children, seven girls and four boys and her large extended family of nieces and nephews was always an important part of her life over the more recent years. All Ronnie’s contemporaries in MMM knew and loved the Cawley family.

She was a clerk for a life insurance company before joining MMM. After her first profession of vows, she was secretary in Winchester MA and did promotion work for five years. In 1970 she went to Ireland, where she trained in hospital administration while doing secretarial work and helping in the Motherhouse Guests Department. While in Ireland at that time, Ronnie was able to meet her mother’s family which meant a lot to both her and them. In 1974 Sr. Ronnie was assigned to Malawi. She was the administrator in St. John’s Hospital in Mzuzu for three years. After mission awareness work in Chicago, she was assigned to Nigeria and did pastoral work in Oshodi, Lagos. Returning to Ireland in 1988, she was leader for returned missionaries.

In 1993, Sr. Ronnie was assigned to Uganda and provided counselling and pastoral care for people affected by HIV/Aids. After serving as a community leader in our Motherhouse she returned to the USA in 1998. In Somerville she visited the elderly, worked in hospice and elder support services. She did pastoral work in Portsmouth NH and was part of the MMM formation community in New York. She lived in the VNA on Highland Senior Care Residence in Somerville, near our community house there. Throughout her life, she was present to the needs of her family and was often care-giver for her siblings all of whom have died before her. She is the last of a generation of a loving, caring family.

In all the many roles Ronnie had, in all the places she ministered, it was not her tall height that brought attention to her, but it was how much she loved people, was so caring and always had a genuine interest remembering so many meaningful details in the life of each patient, family member, resident, parishioner, client, or neighbour. She was loved by so many for her caring manner and that carried over into her life in MMM community over the years. Her last years of life have been spent as a resident of the VNA on Highland Senior care facility where, again, she was part of the family and much loved. The care she received there was wonderful, and she was always so grateful. May Ronnie rest in peace surrounded by her loving family, all those she cared for over the years and her many friends and companions on her life’s journey. Her grave is situated in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden MA.