Sister Patricia was born in Dunboyne, Co. Meath in February 1933. She had her early education locally and then went on to study in Dublin in book-keeping and secretarial skills. She entered MMM in 1958. Even during her initial religious formation, Sister Patricia was already working in the I.M.T.H. (Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital) in Stores and later in administration. Soon after her First Profession, she switched over to the Lourdes Maternity Hospital where she worked as a medical secretary and in charge of records.
Sr. Patricia was a good administrator and remained in this role in the Maternity Hospital for over seven years. During the time of the Extraordinary General Chapter (1969-70) she was relieved of her role in the hospital to work with the Central Preparatory Commission for the upcoming Chapter. She did some early work in compiling Mother Mary’s letters and early drafts of the Constitutions.For two years after this Chapter, she went to Airmount Hospital in Waterford, again as Administrator.
It was in 1971 that Sr. Patricia finally achieved her desire for an overseas mission. She went to Kabanga and over the next almost thirty years spent time in Kabanga, Namanyere and Dareda as Hospital Administrator. She did not have good health at times, and needed some time at home on sick leave. She also spent some time in Ireland caring for her elderly mother.
Sr. Patricia was known for her kindness and gentleness. She had very high principles and was most reliable. She was thorough and noted for her attention to detail. In some ways she was strict, but the Staff appreciated her as they knew she was just and fair in all her dealings with them. She was always attentive when approached for help and was compassionate to those in need. She had a good sense of humour and was full of fun and loved to relax with Sisters. She bore her periods of ill health with fortitude. She also enjoyed being a part of the local parish wherever she lived.
In December 2000, Sr. Patricia was involved in a traffic accident which was serious enough to cause her farewell to Tanzania and her return to Ireland. After a year of recovery, she undertook secretarial duties in the Motherhouse and, over time, became Sacristan as well. As her health deteriorated, she finally retired in 2019 and went to live in Aras Mhuire Nursing Home for the nursing care she needed. She died peacefully there on February 27th, 2022. She is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery.
Sr. Breege Breslin, baptised Brigid, was born in Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland on May 3rd, 1931. She was the seventh child in a family of twelve children, six boys and six girls. All her brothers and sisters pre-deceased her with the exception if one brother, Joe.
Brigid was educated locally in Ballina, first in the local National School and then in the Mercy Convent School for secondary level education. When she was eighteen, she moved to Dublin and found employment in the General Post Office. She had two brothers also working in Dublin at that time, so she had family nearby. She enjoyed life in the city and was a sociable, out-going person, but the idea of a religious vocation was at the back of her mind.
Brigid joined MMM in March 1955. By this stage her older sister, Mary (Sr. Gemma), was already in MMM but Breege always insisted, “Gemma being in MMM had nothing to do with my joining the Congregation”.
After her initial formation period, Sr. Breege trained as a nurse in Drogheda. For some years she continued on in the Hospital in the operating theatre. Here she used her wisdom and gentleness in passing on her skills to other young people in training. In 1966 she did her midwifery training and in January 1968 she went to Kenya, to Kakuma hospital in Turkana. This was the beginning of her long-term commitment to the people of Kenya. Apart from home leave and short breaks for spiritual renewal, she spent the next thirty-eight years in Kenya. She and Sr. Patrice O’Leary set up the medical services in Turkana, much to the amazement and appreciation of the Regional Medical Officer and Regional matron, who were used to the fact that Turkana was considered to be a punishment area.
In 1994, Sr. Breege moved to Nairobi and worked in two slum areas, Mukuru and Kibera. At this time HIV/AIDS was prevalent, and she helped set up voluntary testing and counselling services as well as treatment services when they became available. During all of her time in Kenya, she worked hard, radiated joy and laughter among her patients and co-workers, and was tireless in her efforts to help people. She was an out-going person and had a great capacity for making friends.
Sr. Breege returned to Ireland in 2006 for medical reasons and became part of the Motherhouse community in Drogheda. She finally moved to Aras Mhuire Nursing Home in December 2016. Her death was peaceful on Saturday, 12th February 2022, and she is buried, with her sister Gemma, in St. Peter’s Cemetery in Drogheda.
Sister Fidelia Adigo was born in Mgboma Alike Ikananzizi, Nigeria in November 1949. She was a trained nurse-midwife with a specialty in orthopaedics, and worked as a nurse-midwife for 10 years before joining MMM in 1991. Her first assignment was to Tanzania, where she served in Kabanga. In addition to nursing duties she helped children with disabilities to access services.
In 2005, Sr. Fidelia assisted at our formation house in Nairobi before obtaining a masters in leadership and pastoral care in Dublin. She returned to Nigeria and after a short time at St. Mary’s Hospital, Urua Akpan, she was assigned to our Family Life Centre in Itam. She was matron of the VVF unit and was deeply committed to the care of women affected by obstetric fistula.
Fidelia was appointed directress of our formation house in Itam, where she guided women in their early stages of MMM life. She became ill in 2021 and was brought to Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre, Abuja. She died there peacefully on 13 June 2021. Her funeral was held in Benin City on 25 June 2021 and was live streamed so family and friends around the world could participate. Sister Fidelia is buried at our MMM cemetery there.
January 1st 1929 – December 26th 2021
Sr. M. Catherine Therese was born in Emekuku, Owerri, Nigeria on January 1st, 1929. As a young girl, before joining MMM, she worked in St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua, as a ward orderly. In an interview she gave at the time of her Diamond Jubilee in 2017 she reminisced:
“I admired the way the Sisters worked, took care of the pregnant women and children. What motivated me was my first experience of a case of a pregnant woman who had smallpox. Everyone was running from her, for fear of contracting the disease. Amazingly, unafraid, the MMM admitted, treated and cared for her until she got well and went home. I wanted to be like these Sisters“.
Sr. Catherine Therese herself was amazing and unafraid. Immediately after her initial religious formation she came to Ireland and studied nursing and midwifery. On her return to Nigeria, she set out on a long missionary assignment in caring for the sick and needy. She was matron at several of our hospitals in Nigeria, Anua, Afikpo and Ibadan. Even in retirement she was still active in the community and interested in everything. She had a special fondness for the young MMM Sisters in formation. She enjoyed life right up to the end. On Christmas Day, 2021, she enjoyed watching the festive dancing. The next day, she became unwell and died peacefully in the afternoon of December 26th.
She was buried in the MMM plot in Benin City on January 21st, 2022.
Sr. Patricia O’Kane, known in the family as Phyllis, was born in Belfast in Northern Ireland and attended her local Catholic primary school. She was employed locally in a factory before she joined MMM in 1956, aged 21. She came from a family of six, four brothers, Paul, Gabriel, Maurice (R.I.P.) and Fergus, and she had one sister, Colette, who married and went to live in New Zealand.
After her initial religious formation, Patricia went to the IMTH Hospital in Drogheda (now known as Our Lady of Lourdes) and helped with general duties on the wards. In 1963, she was asked to go to the Apostolic Delegation in London. This is the house where the representative of the Vatican State lives. She stayed in England for six years and then returned to Drogheda and worked in the Guest Department. Before she left England, she trained in London as a State Enrolled Nurse (S.E.N.)
In 1972, she had the privilege of caring for Mother Mary Martin, our Foundress, for two years, in the later stages of her illness. Mother Mary died soon after this in 1975. Patricia then had her first overseas assignment to Abakaliki, Nigeria where she cared for the patients suffering from Hansen’s disease, formerly known as Leprosy. She was happy there and loved the patients, helping them overcome the disabilities caused by the illness.
On completion of her time in Nigeria, she was assigned to Kilmacow, a residential home for elderly people, on the borders of Kilkenny and Waterford. She worked there for over three years and from there she went to the Czech Republic for 18 months, working with Sr. Bibi MMM, one of our Czechoslovakian Sisters.
In August 1998, Patricia became the MMM representative on the Drogheda-based Ladies Committee, a wonderful and dedicated group of women who promoted fund-raising activities for MMM. She was with them for over a decade until the group disbanded because of advancing years.
In all her ministries, Sr. Patricia was known for her welcoming and joyful attitude and her deep care for all whom she met. While she was in Prague, she met Anne Marie Kenny Bull who later became one of our first MMM Associates (AMMM).
After a short period of Mission Appeals in the U.S.A. in 2007, Patricia finally retired to the Motherhouse where she helped with driving, shopping for Sisters, writing letters and other services in our Nursing Home, Áras Mhuire. However, her health began to deteriorate gradually, and she eventually was transferred to Áras Mhuire as a resident in January 2019. During the early months of 2022, her health began to weaken further, and she died on 10 October 2022. She is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery.
Sr. Majella was born in Belfast on 31st July, 1921, but grew up in Dundalk from the age of one when her family moved there. She attended the local primary school and later went to nearby Carrickmacross for her secondary education.
When she entered MMM in 1946, she was already a qualified Pharmacist. The Congregation was still in its infancy, just seven years old, and great expansion was taking place with new communities, health care initiatives and recruitment of new members in different countries of the world.
Majella was not only an excellent Pharmacist but was highly gifted in many ways, as the saying goes “she could put her hand to anything”. As a young Sister she was remembered among other things for making stuffed toys of all sorts, beautiful rabbits, cuddly teddy bears and baby dolls which were sold at our annual Dublin Sale of Work. These were very popular with young children and sold well.
She has had an exciting and varied life. Her first assignment after Profession was to Anua, Nigeria, an already established hospital where she built up the pharmaceutical department. Unfortunately she became ill there and had to return to Ireland prematurely. One day, while working in the hospital pharmacy, she met our Foundress, Mother Mary Martin, who was showing visitors around the hospital. Mother smiled at her and said that she had “a lovely job for her in a lovely climate.” It turned out to be Angola, or Portuguese West Africa as it was known in colonial times. In 1953, she and another Sister were the first to go there, to a remote area in the south of the country, called Chiulo, to provide much needed health care. This was at the invitation of Irish-born Fr. Bernard Keane C.S.Sp who was working there for a number of years and was distraught at the poor facilities. He persuaded Mother Mary to send Sisters there and had already built a small mud hospital and a Sisters’ house in anticipation of their arrival.
Sr. Majella set up the Pharmacy and the Laboratory while learning Portuguese and the native language at the same time. She did trojan work for ten years in the country, developing both the Pharmacy and Laboratory and training girls and boys in the skills necessary. She also helped in many different ways to develop the compound. From there she was assigned back to Nigeria, to Eleta, Ibadan, again a busy, fast-growing hospital where the needs were huge. Sr. Majella thrived on it all, running an efficient service and always training young recruits in the intricacies of Pharmacy.
Her next appointment was back to Ireland as Senior Pharmacist in the I.M.T.H. (now Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital) for 12 years. In between times she did Promotion Work in Ireland, visiting parishes and schools, seeking help for the great MMM work that was underway. She was the editor of the MMM Magazine for two years, producing it on a monthly basis and keeping our readers up to date on the growth of the Congregation throughout the world. The magazine also encouraged young people to consider their vocations and also invited material support to help us in our endeavours.
Sr. Majella retired ‘officially’ in 1990, but this did not mean that she stopped work. She was in charge of the Stamp Department in the Motherhouse for ten years, an important area of the Congregation where used stamps are received and prepared for sale to interested Philatelists. The money acquired from this work is used with great effect to fund the many small projects being carried out by our Sisters throughout the world. The Stamp Department continues to be a valuable source of income right up to the present day. During this time also, there was an emergency call for a Pharmacist in war-torn Liberia and Majella answered the call and spent two happy but challenging years there.
She was always interested in gardening and during this time of retirement set up a greenhouse in one area of the Motherhouse where she grew all kinds of flowers and vegetables including a vine which produced edible grapes. She was a talented woman, an artist in her own right with beautiful paintings to her credit which she gave as gifts to friends and contacts.
Gradually her health deteriorated and in 2011 she transferred to Áras Mhuire to avail of the wonderful care there. She celebrated her 100th birthday last year and she equally enjoyed her 101st birthday just a few weeks before she died. Gradually her health disimproved and on 22nd September 2022, she died peacefully. Her funeral was on 26th September, and she is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Drogheda.
April 1925 – May 13th, 2022
Sr. Raphael was born Margaret Mildred in April 1925. She was born in Athlone, Co. Westmeath and this is where Mildred had her early education at the local convent school. The desire to be a missionary came early and Mildred joined the Medical Missionaries of Mary when she was eighteen. This was just six years after the Congregation was founded. She took the religious name of Sister Mary Raphael. She was a bright girl and had done well in her Leaving Certificate so she was encouraged to study medicine. She began these studies while still in the initial religious formation period. As a student, she lived in Rosemount, Dublin, and helped the fund-raising effort by becoming an expert bee-keeper!
After completing her medical studies which included a year’s post-graduation training in Drogheda, she was immediately assigned to Tanzania and was the Medical Officer in charge of Dareda Hospital for two years.
Unfortunately, she soon became ill and had to return to Drogheda for rest and recuperation. After this, a small change in direction in her medical career took place. Off she went to London to study Ophthalmology. This was a three-year Diploma course and on her return to Ireland she worked for a year in Dublin before travelling to her next missionary assignment. This time it was to Nigeria, St. Luke’s Hospital in Anua. She loved the work but many Sisters had to return to Ireland during the civil war which broke out in 1967. Sr. Raphael came in 1968 and worked for several years in various hospitals in England and Wales. She did have the opportunity to return to Nigeria briefly with a Caritas emergency relief team in December 1969.
In 1973, Sr. Raphael was asked to brush up on her obstetric skills in Waterford Maternity Hospital in preparation for yet another missionary assignment. This time it was to Tanzania and for five years she worked as a doctor in Dareda and Namanyere hospitals.
When Sr. Raphael returned from overseas mission, she continued in active ministry in Ireland. She helped in the guest department in Beechgrove while keeping up her medical eye clinics with the North Eastern Health Board, also in Kildare. In 1986, she was involved in a severe car accident and it took her some time to recover after that. She finally found a ministry which she gratefully enjoyed. She was given the title of Audio-visual Archivist at the Communications Department, but in reality, she was the “go to” person when you wanted something done! She went on trips all over the country bringing communication material and messages all over the place. As a pensioner, she had a free travel pass which she enjoyed immensely.
Sr. Raphael had a cheerful and happy disposition. She lived simply and had great devotion to the Rosary.
Finally, Sr. Raphael came back to the Beechgrove community to retire and moved to Aras Mhuire for extra care in July 2014. She had many happy years in the Nursing Home and slipped away peacefully in the early morning of May, 13th, 2022. She is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Drogheda.
September 1st 1933 – April 29th 2022
Sr. Deirdre Twomey, baptised Eileen Deirdre, was born in Cardiff, Wales in 1933. Her father, Jeremiah Twomey was Irish and although Deirdre’s early education was in Wales and England, the Irish ties were strong and the family eventually moved back to Dublin. Deirdre entered MMM immediately after she finished her secondary education, aged eighteen. As was customary in those early days of MMM, her professional studies were integrated, as far as possible, with her early religious formation and she went almost immediately to study medicine in University College, Dublin, graduating in 1957. She had her intern year in Drogheda and was sent almost immediately to Nigeria.
Most of Deirdre’s life was spent in Afikpo in Nigeria. She arrived there in 1958, a newly-qualified doctor, and was immediately given responsibility as the Medical Officer. Deirdre spent almost forty years of her life in Afikpo, but she also worked for shorter periods in Abakaliki, Ikom and Ibadan.
She was an excellent doctor, tireless and dedicated to the last. Later she upgraded and became a Consultant Obstetrican/Gynacologist thus saving the lives of many women in labour and their babies. She also taught and trained young doctors to continue the work, as well as teaching and consulting in Natural Family Planning throughout the Diocese. She was also involved in the education of General Practitioners. For a short period during the 1980s, Deirdre came back to Ireland to care for her mother who was aging and needed care. She took the time for some spiritual renewal attending night classes in Milltown Park, Dublin and did manage to get relief from within the family to go back to her beloved Nigeria during the summer!
When the hospital in Afikpo was handed back to the Diocese, Sr. Deirdre went to Abakaliki and worked there in Obstetrics and Gynaecology for another eleven years. But she is fondly remembered in Afikpo where a statue was erected to her memory. She finally returned to Ireland in 2011 after fifty-three years of dedication to the women and children of Nigeria.
On her return to Ireland, Deirdre threw herself into ministry once again. She was based in Dublin and there her many talents had great scope. She was an enthusiastic communicator, keeping a daily diary all of her life, corresponding with family, friends and doctors all over the world. She was artistic, making beautiful birthday and feast cards; and always prepared the crib at Christmas. Photography was another feature of her life and she took excellent photos of events over the years. While in Dublin she also contributed to Mission Awareness, frequently speaking in Parishes around the country, telling the people of her experiences in Nigeria and encouraging them to support us.
She only finally came back to the Motherhouse for extra care in 2021.
Deirdre was always a happy, cheerful person. She was devoted to her family and visited them regularly as long as her health allowed.
Her last illness came on suddenly and we were all saddened by her death in Aras Mhuire on April 29th, 2022. She is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Drogheda
May 1927 – April 19th 2022
Sr. Maureen Ita was born in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, in May 1927, one of five children. All her siblings have pre-deceased her. She was educated locally at the convent schools and joined MMM just a year after finishing school. After her initial religious formation, she was not sent for further studies, but remained in Drogheda for nine years, one of the essential workers in the early days of the International Missionary Training Hospital (now, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital). In those days she was known as Sr. M. Joseph Enda, but she returned to her baptismal name later. As a grandniece of the then Archbishop, Cardinal MacCrory, she would have been widely known by all the visiting clergy. She worked at the “front end” of the hospital, in reception, in the shop, welcoming visitors and guests.
In 1957, Mother Mary asked her to go the Apostolic Nunciature in Dublin. There she was involved in the running of the household and her skills at welcoming people and making them feel at ease was well utilized. This was a three-year assignment after which she returned to Drogheda for a further three years. In 1960, another Nunciature assignment arose. This time to Ethiopia for a period of nine years.
On her return to Ireland and working in the hospital, Maureen Ita realised that a lot of the work she was doing was actually Pastoral Ministry and she began working with Sr. Eileen Carmel in Chaplaincy work. Her gentle personality was well suited to this ministry, reaching out to the patients on a more spiritual level. In the early 1980s she went to USA and did some units of Clinical Pastoral Education in Boston for qualification. On her return to Ireland, she worked in Cluan Mhuire, an Alcoholic Rehabilitation Centre in Newry with Sr. Consilio Fitzgerald.
Maureen Ita was always known to have a kind heart and a listening ear. She enjoyed the interaction with people and they seemed attracted by her kindness.
In 1995, she realised that her visually impaired sister, Eithne, in Dungannon, needed her help. This started a long process of care-giving and mutual support between the two sisters. Eithne eventually needed to be hospitalized in 2015 and Maureen Ita returned to Drogheda and was soon admitted to Aras Mhuire Nursing home for her own care needs. Her health remained stable for many years and she enjoyed the company of the Sisters and staff in Aras Mhuire. In 2022 her health began to decline and she died in the early morning of April 19th. She is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery.
July 1937 – January 30th 2022
Sr. Mary Teresa Reilly was born in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath in July 1937. Her early education was in local schools and she was trained as a secretary and book-keeper. For three years she worked as a clerk in a Galway firm before joining MMM in 1958.
Even during her initial religious formation, Sr. Mary Teresa’s administrative abilities were noted. Immediately after First Profession of Vows she was sent to the International Missionary Training Hospital (IMTH) and worked there for several years in clerical positions before finally being appointed as Hospital Administrator. During this period (1960-1974) Sr. Mary Teresa was constantly upgrading her professional Diplomas, achieving a Higher Diploma in Hospital and Health Services Administration.
In 1974, Sr. Mary Teresa went to Rome for a well-deserved break from administration and to pursue religious studies. Unfortunately, ill health made her return to Ireland and she was “grounded” for three years, helping out in the Archives Department. In 1977, she went to USA for three years as bursar and secretary. This was followed by a long stretch working at Congregational level, first as part of the Leadership Team (1979-1985) and then as Congregational Secretary (1985-1992).
In 1993 Sr. Mary Teresa went to Uganda. This was her first overseas missionary experience and she loved it all. She worked as Financial Controller and Complex Director at Kitovu Hospital for almost ten years.
On her return to Ireland, she was called upon again for her administrative abilities. This was a return to working at Congregational level as Congregational Secretary once more for ten years. In 2013, Sr. Mary Teresa finally retired to Drogheda. She was very involved in the setting up of the Mother Mary and Mission Rooms in Drogheda and had a great knowledge of and love for Mother Mary and MMM history.
Sr. Mary Teresa was meticulous in all her activities. A gentle, unassuming woman, she gave her All to whatever assignment she was given. She was a perfectionist, both in her professional and personal life which, among other things, included great attention to the celebration of the Liturgy. She was greatly drawn to Canon Law and attended several Summer Schools over the years. In her lighter moments, she enjoyed Bird Watching and playing the Mandolin.
She retired to the Motherhouse in 2013 and belonged to St. Patrick’s Community. She became Sacristan, busily preparing for the celebration of daily Mass and other Liturgical celebrations. She also continued her involvement in the Mother Mary Mission Room, showing visitors around and generally looking after the room. Over the years her health began to deteriorate and she became less active. Finally, she transferred to Áras Mhuire in May, 2021. Over the following months her health continued to disimprove and she died peacefully on January 30th, 2022, in the presence of Sr. Rita Higgins MMM and members of Staff. She is buried in St. Peter’s Cemetery, Drogheda.
