Eucharistic Celebration for our Departed Sisters : November 2023 – November 2024

On Sunday November 10th the Irish Province celebrated our annual Remembrance Eucharist for our Sisters in the Congregation who had died over the past year. A large number of Sisters attended and the celebrant was Fr Donal Neary SJ.

Sr Mary Kernan, Provincial Vicar, welcomed everyone on behalf of Sr Geraldine Byrne, Provincial Leader, who was unable to attend. After the Opening Prayer of the Mass, symbols representing our Christian faith were carried forward and placed on the Sacred Space dedicated to our deceased Sisters: Water which calls to mind our Baptism and the power of Holy Water in our lives; a Candle representing the light of

Christ in our lives, and the Anniversary Book which we use daily to remember our deceased Sisters on their anniversary.

Thirteen candles, with each Sister’s photo affixed, were placed on the altar representing the Sisters who had died during the year. As Fr Donal read out each name, Sr Philomena Neary lit their candle, which then continued to burn throughout the Mass.

This year thirteen of our Sisters entered eternal life and their names are now added to the anniversary book. The photos of these Sisters were displayed in a framed picture on the Sacred Space before the Altar, but as Sr Teresa Murphy died on Friday November 8th, it was too late for the inclusion of her photo in the frame. At the end of Mass, Sisters from the communities which these Sisters belonged to, were invited to collect the candle to remember them in their communities. Sisters who were friends of the deceased Sisters from Zambia, California and England brought those candles back to their communities.

In his homily, Fr Donal stressed the importance of small actions in our lives – the kind gesture, a smile, our supportive presence to one another. These kindnesses are never forgotten and all of us will remember the blessings our deceased Sisters brought to us in the past.

Many Sisters took an active part in the Mass by doing the readings; Singing the Psalm; Prayers of the Faithful; Offertory Procession; Minister of the Eucharist and the organist who accompanied the singing.

At the conclusion of the Mass, Sr Rita Wynne thanked Fr Donal, the committee who prepared the celebration and all who were involved in making it a very prayerful occasion. She invited all to the Mary Aikenhead Day Centre where the Friends of Mary Aikenhead, organised by Sr Marie Smyth, had prepared afternoon tea for everyone. In the Centre we enjoyed the tea and chocolate biscuits and got to meet and catch up with friends we hadn’t met for some time. The lovely atmosphere of joy and camaraderie which we experienced as we greeted each other, plus the prayerful celebration earlier in the chapel, sent us back to our communities feeling very uplifted.