Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 139
D.O.B: 04.11.1920
First Profession: 08.09.1943
Died: 24.04.1947 Aged: 26 Years
Kathleen, who came from Kilrickle, Loughrea, Co. Galway, entered MMM on 31 October 1940. She arrived at Drogheda with Mother Mary, who had driven her from Kilrickle, and to the amusement of all, a goose that had been given to her as a going away present!

A lovely, dark-haired beauty, she started medicine in UCD, but it was later decided that she should transfer to nursing. She fell ill following her interview at Guy’s Hospital in London and died in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin, taking final vows on her deathbed.

Mother Mary, who was in Nigeria for the making of the film Visitation, returned home immediately and accompanied the hearse from Dublin. Sr. Aquinas was our first MMM to be called from this life. She is buried in Drogheda.

Because she was the first MMM to die and was so young at the time of her death, everyone was feeling devastated. Even the festive meal that Mother Mary arranged to “celebrate” did little to raise spirits.

At the time of her death Sr. Aquinas had two other sisters in MMM. Teresa was a novice at the time, but she later left for health reasons. Martha, a postulant at the time, remained with us as a professed sister until her own death in 1978.