Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 777
D.O.B. 15.11.1917
First Profession: 27.04.1970
Died: 06.11.1979 Aged: 61 years
Mary Josephine Meenan, née McDonagh, from Belfast, entered on 8 September 1967.
She was a widow with no family. She had not married until she was nearly forty and her husband, John, had died after only nine years of marriage.
Sr. Leonie was born Patricia McSweeney in County Waterford in 1932. She grew up in Dublin, together with her brother Bill, and attended her early education with the Holy Faith Sisters, whom she loved. She worked as a secretary in a factory for two years before joining MMM in 1951. She felt a call to religious life but was more attracted to nursing than to teaching. When she was interviewed by Mother Mary, Mother accepted her immediately and told her that she would like her to study to be a doctor.
Nationality: Scottish
Congregational Register No: 437
D.O.B. 14.04.1914
First Profession: 06.05.1959
Died: 01.02.1981 Aged: 66 years
Catherine Spellacy McMeekin, known to us as Sr. Michaeli, entered in Clonmel on 7 October 1956. She hailed from Airdrie in Scotland and was a true Scotswoman to the end!
St. Benedict’s Rule reads:
Congregational Register No. 491
D.O.B. 22.06.1935
First Profession 03.10.61
Died: 08.08.2005
Aged: 70 years
Julia Ann McLoughlin was born in Dublin, the eldest of six children. She was educated by the Presentation Sisters and after finishing secondary school did a commercial Course at Rathmines Technical School. She continued on to Gregg Commercial School, Dublin, and worked as a secretary before entering MMM in 1959.
Following formation, Sr. Julie’s secretarial skills were put to good use in the nunciature in Dublin and later at Drogheda as secretary general. In 1973, she was asked to assume responsibility for the congregation as Mother General, a post which she held until the Chapter in September 1974.
1931 – March 3rd 2015
Ann Isobel McKiernan was born in Armagh in 1931. She was educated at Saint Malachy’s Primary School and the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Armagh. She had two brothers: Johnny and Father George, a Passionist priest, and one sister, Madge. Ann joined the Medical Missionaries of Mary in 1949.
After profession Sr. Josefa trained as a radiographer in University College Dublin. She did her practical training in the hospital in Drogheda, and then worked for six years there. In 1960 she was assigned to Nigeria. She spent three years in Anua, working in the pharmacy and x-ray departments. At the end of 1962 she went to Afikpo and again worked in the pharmacy and x-ray departments. She had to leave in 1967 when war broke out in Nigeria.
Sister Agnes was born in Liscloonadea, Mohill, Co. Leitrim, in 1924, the second youngest of five girls and four boys. She attended the local primary school and Mohill Technical School and in 1943 went to England with three of her sisters to train as a nurse. While working there in 1948, another nurse told her about a film called Visitation.
Sister Mary was born in Emyvale, Co. Monaghan, in 1942, the eldest of three children. Their mother died when Mary was fifteen years old. After primary school, Mary went to stay with her Aunt Mary in Dublin during her secondary school education. She trained as a secretary and worked for the Land Commission for a year and a half. During that time she attended classes in drama and studied French and Italian. She joined the Medical Missionaries of Mary in 1962.
After profession Mary qualified as a nurse-midwife and obtained a certificate in tropical medicine in Liverpool, England. Her first assignment was to Leon, Spain, in 1971, where she spent two and a half years and made her final profession.
Sister Joachim was born Mary Brigid McGuinness in Glebe, Ardee, Co. Louth in 1923. Known as Maureen within her family, she attended primary school in Ardee. She then trained in domestic science in the technical school in Ardee and in domestic economy at the St. Louis Sisters in Monaghan.
Joachim joined MMM in 1944. She was seriously ill as a novice and made her first profession of vows on what was presumed to be her deathbed. Happily she made a remarkable recovery and lived almost to the age of ninety-six years.
Sister Margaret Ann (Mollie) was born Margaret Mary McGrath in the East End of London in 1926. She had two sisters, Patricia and Lily, who predeceased her, and one brother, Bill. She was educated in Notre Dame School in Southwark. During World War II she joined the Land Army. This was a civilian organisation created during the First and Second World Wars so women could work in agriculture, replacing men called up to the military. They picked crops and did all the jobs that the men would do. In recent years Margaret Ann received an award from the British government in recognition of her contribution. When the war ended she was employed by the Bank of England.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No. 616
D.O.B. 17.04.1929
First Profession 03.10.1964
Died: 11.10.2002 Aged: 73 years
Born in Kildare, Agnes McGrath did her early schooling in the Presentation Convent. After finishing school she worked in an office. She entered MMM aged 31 and took the name Sr. M. Ines. After her initial formation, she worked in the hospital cafeteria in Drogheda. In 1965 Sr. Ines began nurse training but discontinued after a year and a half, feeling she was not suited to nursing. She worked in the Apostolic nunciature in Dublin for five years, before returning to Drogheda to work at the reception desk in the IMTH. In 1973 she was assigned to the USA. She spent a year in Winchester, MA, and returned to Ireland to do a commercial course. After this she worked in the hospital in Drogheda in a variety of jobs before being assigned to Tanzania in 1979.
