Sr Miriam Twohig celebrated her 101st birthday in Cork earlier this year. It was arranged to have Mass celebrated in Marymount by the chaplain Fr. Declan Mansfield on Wednesday 12th March, two days ahead of the actual birthday, as Fr Declan is not in Marymount on Thursdays or Fridays. Many of the residents of the Older Care Services attended the Mass, together with St Anthony’s Community members and Sr Miriam’s niece, Rosemary O’Connor. Fr Declan invited Sr Miriam to read the Word of God and he brought the microphone to her chair so she could remain seated. She really proclaimed the reading, loud and clear.
Thankfully she is very happy and content in Marymount. It is wonderful to see how she has adapted to increasing frailty and dependence on staff to help her with activities of daily living. The view from her room is a pastoral scene of cattle grazing on a hill. She frequently expresses gratitude for this as it reminds her of her childhood days in a rural part of Cork. For her this is part of the hundred-fold even in this life. Incidentally, that very day, the Age-Appropriate Older Care services in Marymount received special recognition for excellence in this branch of Health Services. Although the Religious Sisters of Charity are no longer involved in this facility, the charism of Mary Aikenhead has been passed on from older to younger staff members who enjoy working in this faith-filled environment.
