Congregational Register No. 574
D.O.B. 11.11.1910
First Profession 03.10.1963
Died: 06.04.2005
Aged: 94.years

Sheelah Mary O’Hagan was born in Newry, Co. Down. She was the third child and the second daughter in a family of three brothers and three sisters. When Sheelah was fourteen years old her mother, Adelaide, died. She was only forty-three. A lady from Trim, Nana Morgan, nursed her mother during her illness and then stayed on until the family were reared. Sheelah had a warm and loving relationship with Nana Morga,n who was a wonderful homemaker and loved the family. In her early twenties, Sheelagh was sent to the Edinburgh College of Domestic Science, where she received her diploma. She taught domestic economy in vocational schools in Ireland before she began demonstration work with the ESB. She worked for the ESB from 1935 until 1960, when she entered MMM.

Her interest in MMM had started after viewing the MMM film Visitation at a parish hall one evening. She discussed her interest with a priest friend and with her brothers and sister, who were now all well settled. Her father was now deceased. She felt free to enter and did so on the feast of St. Thérèse in October 1960, a month from her fiftieth birthday. Following formation, she worked in fund-raising with our Ladies’ Committee in Drogheda, on relief in the coffee bar in the hospital and was the driver for the flying squad for the maternity hospital in Drogheda.

In 1970, she was assigned to Minna in Nigeria, a Kiltegan priests’ mission, where she was the bursar and housekeeper. Her expertise in home economics came in very useful here and she helped the women to make good use of the local fruits and vegetables.The Fathers encouraged and helped her in every way possible. Returning to Ireland in 1974, she was assigned to Rosemount . ‘P.C.’ happily made dozens of soft toys and puppets and worked with the committee for the annual sale of work at the Mansion House in Dubin. She supervised the hot lunches prepared for Dubliners and helpers for the three days that the sale lasted. From 1976 until 1979, she cooked and cared for two elderly aunts who had become incapacitated. Following their deaths in 1979, she returned to her work fund-raising for the Drogheda Ladies’ Committee and helping with the Dublin sale.

She retired from active work in 1987 but kept busy making flower cards and puppets, tending the flower boxes at the convent, and providing bottles of Holy Water to each Sister about to leave for overseas. Sister Peter also spent much time in prayer and was an avid listener to the 9 o’clock news. A degree of memory loss and increased tiredness necessitated her move to Áras Mhuire in 2001. From then until her peaceful death in April 2005 she went to Mass daily in her wheelchair, never complained about anything, and was touchingly grateful to the staff for anything they did. Her nieces came often and sometimes brought her 96-year-old sister, Maureen, to visit her, too.