Nationality: American
Congregational Register No: 538
D.O.B. 01.09.1939
First Profession: 23.04.1960
Died: 26.05.1970 Aged: 30 years

Sheila, who came from Chicago, entered MMM in Winchester, Massachusetts, on 12 September 1957. She is fondly remembered as being vivacious and loving, laughing and joyful, as well as sensitive and dedicated to MMM. She had a beautiful singing voice. After first profession, she came to Drogheda, where she did her nurse training.

She was assigned to the Clinica Moscati, Rome in 1964 and then to the Clinica Meditterranea, Naples in 1966.

After leave, she returned to Drogheda from1968-69 to do her midwifery training and was then assigned to Minna, Nigeria in 1969.

She was very excited about going to Nigeria, but her time there was to be far too short. Her short illness followed by her death was a great blow to everyone, especially to Sr. Dr. Margaret Mary, who used to say, “Will she make it?” She did her utmost to save Sr. Catherine Anne’s life, as she had saved the lives of many before her, eventually traveling with her for many hours over the dirt roads to Ibadan – but all in vain.

Sr. Catherine Anne died in Ibadan and is buried in Minna, Nigeria. Her photograph was set into her tombstone shortly after the burial. It is remarkable that this photograph had not faded in the tropical sun even 30 years after her death.

After she died, a Kiltegan priest told a story about a Moslem man in Minna who was convinced that God existed because of the loving kindness in the face and eyes of Catherine Anne towards him.