Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No. 228
D.O.B. 09.06.1909
First Profession: 17.03.1952
Died: 21.11.2004 Aged: 95 years
Mary Agnes Fay was born in Belfast where she was educated and lived until 1919 when her family moved to Dublin. After secondary school, Mary Agnes undertook a commercial course at Gregg College and then worked at Brown Brothers for seventeen years. She then worked at Dublin Lucan Dairies and at McCairns Motors Ltd.
Nationality: British
Congregational Register No: 213
D.O.B. 08.07.1920
First Profession: 08.09.1951
Died: 08.01.2008 Aged: 87 years
Barbara Joyce Faulkner was born in London, England. She came from a Church of England background but was educated in a Catholic convent school in Canterbury, Kent. From June 1936 until the outbreak of WWII in September 1939, Barbara was employed as a shorthand typist. She then spent a few months at a first aid post before beginning her nursing training in Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham, in February of 1940. This was also the year that Barbara was received into the Catholic Church.
Sister Constantia was born Brigid Faul in Mullacrew, Louth, Ireland, in 1933. One of four children, she attended Louth Village Primary School and completed her secondary education at the Saint Louis Convent in Carrickmacross. She joined MMM in 1952. After profession she worked in the laundry in Drogheda for five years, first in the sorting and packing room and then in the office. She did this while attending bookkeeping and typing classes at night in the Drogheda Technical School.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 66
D.O.B. 22.08.1922
First Profession: 08.09.1944
Died: 18.06.1986 Aged: 64 years
Baptised Anna Mary, from Dromard, Co Leitrim, Sr. Columba entered on 24 October 1941. Following profession, she did midwifery training in Drogheda and then staffed in the maternity hospital for three years. In 1952, she started general nurse training in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 286
D.O.B. 26.12.1922
First Profession: 08.09.1953
Died: 28.03.2006 Aged: 83 years
Brigid Farrell was born in Streamstown, Co. Longford to a farming family. She was one of six children – five girls and one boy. Brigid entered MMM at the age of 28 years, having previously worked as a housekeeper to a lady in Dublin, and took the name Sr. Mary Sarto.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No. 49
D.O.B.: 18.05.1921
First Profession 08.09.1943
Died: 02.01.2009 Aged: 87 years
Rose Teresa Farrell was born in Lackagh, Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan. She had two brothers and one sister. Shortly after completing her education in Castleblaney, she entered MMM at age nineteen, taking the name Sr. Mary Michael.
Sr. Agnes Maria, born in Anua, Uyo, Nigeria, could be described as a pioneer. She qualified as a teacher, but having been inspired by Mother Mary Martin, whom she had met in Nigeria, she came to Ireland in 1953 with Veronica Akpan, who became the first MMM from Africa.
Sister Jean was born Elaine Eason in Buffalo, New York, USA in 1941. She attended school in Gardenville and Buffalo, New York, graduating from Mount Mercy Academy High School. Throughout her time in MMM she remained in contact with several Sisters of Mercy who taught her.
She met the Medical Missionaries of Mary while at school and joined in 1959. She chose the name Jean Clare at her Reception, a sign of her love for her parents.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 120
D.O.B. 12.05.1924
First Profession: 06.01.1947
Died: 30.04.2008 Aged: 83 years
Catherine Angela Durnin came from a large farming family in Lawlesstown, Dunleer, Co. Meath. She had five brothers and three sisters. The young Catherine Angela contributed to the household income with her dressmaking skills after she left St. Brigid’s National School, Dunleer.
Sister Mary Dunne (1941-2011)
Mary was the youngest child and only daughter of Kathleen and Patrick Dunne. She grew up in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, and trained as a nurse in Kent, and then studied midwifery in Scotland. Having worked as a staff nurse for some time, she volunteered for a nursing post in Zambia. From there she took a holiday with another volunteer, travelling through Tanzania and stopping off at Makiungu Hospital. There she met MMM for the first time, and discovered a life-long journey had begun.
She joined MMM in 1969 and after her religious formation was assigned to Kenya. Her first mission was in the far north of the Turkana Desert, where she was Nursing Officer in charge of the government Health Centre at Lokitaung. It was remote, isolated, depending on the small plane of the Flying Doctors’ Service for supplies and support. The catchment area of the Health Centre was the size of Ulster.
Despite the harsh climate, famine, isolation and the insecurity around the nearby borders with Sudan and Ethiopia, she experienced a great sense of satisfaction in being part of the development of a people, a country and a church. Many lasting friendships were formed with other volunteers and missionaries from various countries.
Mary’s love of sport embraced rugby, soccer and tennis, which she followed on short-wave radio. She loved music, especially the cello, and read widely using the mobile missionary library available throughout Kenya.
During sabbatical leave she specialised in oncology nursing. When she returned to Kenya she was assigned to Kitale, where she saw the huge needs of people with HIV/AIDS and the plight of children who had lost their parents to AIDS. She initiated and developed a comprehensive program to respond to this great need, and devoted the next fourteen years of her life to this work. With a well trained team, she provided services to thousands of people, giving hope and comfort in a desperate situation.
When she returned to Ireland in 2006, she realised she was beginning a new journey on life’s way. A diagnosis of cancer came, on top of the hearing difficulties she had been experiencing for some time. She faced her fears with the same courage, stubbornness and good humour that she had brought to all of life’s challenges. She spoke to her friends of ways of ‘befriending’ her illness. Her deep faith and serenity were an inspiration to all who supported and cared for her. A gifted planner all her life, a few weeks before death came, she prepared the inspiring liturgy at which we would say our earthly goodbye. Despite much pain, her serenity remained steadfast until God’s final call came in the early hours of November 23, 2011. May she rest in peace.
