Nationality:  Irish
Congregational Register No. 160
D.O.B.: 17.01.1920
First Profession:  07.09.1952
Died:  05.11.2010   Aged: 90 years

Born in Killarney, Sister Fidelma was a bright student and on leaving school won a coveted place in London at the nursing school of Saints John and Elizabeth Hospital. In 1949, she met Mother Mary Martin and soon afterwards entered MMM.

She trained in midwifery in Drogheda. Then for sixteen years she worked as nursing sister in the maternity unit at the Clinica Mediterranea in Naples.

Sister Fidelma was renowned for her patient care both in Italy, and later at Airmount Maternity Hospital in Waterford. From 1982 to 1985 she was infirmarian at our Motherhouse. Many missionaries who came home ill from overseas were quickly restored to health under her supervision. She then spent two years working in the centre for the elderly in Drogheda and doing pastoral visiting in the town.

In 1987 she became a pioneer member of the MMM community in Kilmacow, Co. Kilkenny, where we were invited to take on the management of a residential home for the elderly.

In 1990, when she reached what would have been regarded as retirement age, she went to Malawi and spent four very happy years sharing her expertise at Chipini Health Centre. She returned to Ireland and took on another ministry, in hospitality, at our house in Bettystown. in 2001 she moved to Ashleigh Heights and in 2003 to our Motherhouse in Beechgrove. In June 2008 she needed more nursing care and transferred to Áras Mhuire. She died there peacefully on 5 November 2010.