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.
Sister Marie’s sudden death on 13 June 2011 brought great shock and sorrow to all who knew her. She had been living in Waterford since 1991, and since 2002 had been working with the Waterford Immigration Network.
Born in Dublin in 1921, Marie was educated at Loreto College, St. Stephen’s Green, and had qualified as a secretary and worked for five years before joining MMM in 1953. She later gained commercial teaching diplomas at the well-known Caffrey’s College in Dublin.
Sister Augustine Sheridan was born in Navan, Ireland in April 1927. She was baptized Margaret Esther but was always known as Gretta in the family. She was one of a family of five children: two boys and three girls. Her early education was in the local national school and then she had two successive jobs. The first was as a housekeeper to the local parish priest and then she cared for an uncle who was ill and living alone.
Sister Karen was born Elizabeth Shearer in Galston, Ayrshire, Scotland in 1930. Her father was employed by the owners of a castle, so she often joked that she was born in a castle. She worked in textile making for twenty years before joining the Medical Missionaries of Mary in 1965. After profession she trained in social science and was meant to start nursing training. However, at the last minute she was sent to work in the Apostolic delegation in London, where she spent ten years.
