Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 520
D.O.B. 25.01.1931
First Profession: 03.04.1954
Died: 19.08.1977 Aged: 46 years

Sr. Damien, baptized Margaret Mary, was a native of Durrus, Co.Cork, and emigrated to the USA. She entered MMM in Boston, MA, on 8 September 1951, and was in the first group of novices in the USA, the first postulant having gone to Ireland for her novitiate.

After profession, she trained as a LPN (licensed practical nurse) at Holy Ghost Hospital (now Youville Hospital) and worked in Winchester and Chicago.

She was assigned to Tanzania in 1956 to the new mission of Chala. Later she nursed in Kabanga.

After returning from Tanzania in 1960, she completed her general nurse and midwifery training in Drogheda.

In 1965, Sr. Damien was assigned to Ethiopia and worked in Gambo. In 1969 she travelled to England to take a tropical nursing course in Liverpool. Following this she nursed Mother Mary for a while. Gambo was to see her again from 1970 – 74 and she worked in Ogaden and Aware, Ethiopia, on famine relief from 1974-75. Later, she had surgery in Addis Abeba and returned to Drogheda.

She eventually returned to the USA to care for her sister who was dying from cancer. Damien also died from cancer in Drogheda, after quite a long and difficult illness. She is buried in Drogheda in the MMM plot.