Nationality: Scottish
Congregational Register No: 417
D.O.B. 10.06.1891
First Profession: 28.10.1958
Died: 07.12.1966 Aged: 75 years
She entered on 8 December 1955 as Mrs. Margaret Thorpe (née Spence) from Bagnalstown, Co. Carlow.
Sr. Margaret was a widow and a convert to Roman Catholicism and brought the best of that experience with her. Already 64 years of age, God gave her another 11 years to spend in service in MMM.
Sr. Veronica was born in Bekan Cross, Co. Mayo in 1928. She attended school in Mayo and worked as a clerical assistant in the Department of Agriculture for eight years. She had her first contact with MMM through a colleague there, Kathleen Grealy, whose sister Josephine was already professed. Kathleen used to sell raffle tickets for the missions in the office and Von became interested in our work.
Sr. Anastasia was born in Rock, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone in 1921. She attended the Loreto School in Omagh, Co. Tyrone for her secondary education. She excelled at school from her earliest years, and got the highest marks in Northern Ireland in her senior leaving certificate. She continued her education in Dublin and graduated with a BA from UCD in 1941. This was followed by a H.Dip. in Education.
Mary was born in Lincolnshire, England in 1947. She received her early education in Louth, Lincolnshire and trained as a pharmacist at the University of Aston, Birmingham and St. George’s Hospital, Lincolnshire. She worked as a pharmacist in England and then spent two years as a lay missionary in Nigeria. There she worked at the MMM hospital in Eleta, Ibadan.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No: 18
D.O.B. 21.02.1919
First Profession: 22.07.1942
Died: 18.07.1971 Aged: 52 years
Martha Stanley of Clifden, Co. Galway, was one of our early novices in Collon, entering on 6 January 1939.
Sr. Therese had done a course in domestic science, and although gifted as a homemaker, she was given little opportunity to put her qualifications into practice. Her talents seemed to be in leadership.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No. 144
D.O.B. 25.06.1926
First Profession 16.03.1948
Died 15.01.2009 Aged: 82 years
Joan Marie Staines was born into a family of note within the new Irish State. Her father, Michael Staines, a member of the Gaelic League and Sinn Fein, was part of the GPO Garrison in Dublin in 1916, a member of the first Dail of 1919, and was appointed by the Provisional Government as the first garda commissioner in 1922.
Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No. 420
D.O.B. 19.04.1920
First Profession 28.10.1958
Died: 04.01.2001 Aged: 80 years
Mary Stack was born in Fermoy, Co. Cork. Her family moved to Maryboro, Co. Laois, while Mary was a child. She trained as a general nurse after leaving school in 1937 and also became a registered tuberculosis nurse. She nursed for many years before joining MMM in 1955.
Nationality: American
Congregational Register No: 531
D.O.B. 24.05.1931
First Profession: 17.03.1958
Died: 25.05.1999 Aged: 68 years
Shirley (for a while, Sr. Martin de Porres) was from Lynn, Massachusetts, USA and entered in Winchester, MA, on 17 September 1955.
She trained as a registered nurse in Boston, then came to Ireland in 1963 to do midwifery.
Sister Paula Smith was born Joan Smith in Charlestown, MA, USA, on 4 February 1934. She attended schools in the Boston area. From as early as four years of age she dreamed of being a missionary Sister, going as a nurse or doctor to faraway places. She began to see that dream become a reality when she met our MMM foundress at our first house in the USA, on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. That was in early 1952 and a conversation she had with Mother Mary put her at peace.
Congregational Register No. 219
D.O.B. 12.06.1921
First Profession 08.09.1951
Died: 22.04.2005
Aged: 83 years
Roberta Smith was born in Falkirk, Scotland, but was raised from the age of seven in northern England. She never lost her lovely Scottish accent though. She was the fifth of six daughters, one of whom became a doctor. Three became teachers, and Roberta, or Royella as she was known in her family, became a pharmacist, following in her father’s footsteps. He had trained as an analytical chemist.
