1934 – 2024
Born: 23rd February 1934
Entered: 6th October 1958
Died: 18th April 2024
Sr. Gerardine Fitzpatrick, daughter of Arthur and Ellen Fitzpatrick, was born in Dublin in 1934. She was the youngest child in a family of three boys and two girls. Gerardine entered the Novitiate in Milltown on 6th October 1958 and was received as a novice on 30th April 1959, taking the name of Sr. Maria Pacelli. She made her First Profession on 2nd May 1961 and following her Profession was missioned to help with the Sacristy and Housekeeping in Bray Community.
From 9th September 1961 Gerardine was a student in Basingstoke and Clarinbridge. Following an illness, she spent a period of convalescence in Milltown from 1962 to February 1964 after which she returned to Basingstoke and Sowerby Bridge. Gerardine was accepted as a student in Hull Teacher Training College in September 1964 and based in Ollerton community until she graduated as a Primary School Teacher in 1967. She was a committed and successful teacher and taught in Birmingham and Crumlin until she became ill again and went to convalesce in St. Patrick’s, Cork and Stella Maris, Howth with a short period of two months in 1972 teaching crafts in Waterford school. In 1973 she helped in Milltown and Howth during the summer months. From September 1973 she taught for one year in Lakelands and then spent the following three years in Milltown teaching children with Special Needs. Her compassion and love for children with Special Needs was evident. It was obvious that this was the ministry to which God was calling her so she enrolled as a student in St. Patrick’s College for Special Education in Drumcondra while based in Gardiner Street community. As a qualified teacher in Special Education, she taught in Renmore Special School in Galway and Gardiner Street School and finally in St. Patrick’s, Kilkenny, where she remained teaching in the special school for 13 years.
Gerardine was known as a wonderful teacher, even with the most intellectually challenged children. She used her gift of teaching crafts, especially toy-making, to bring them joy and help them develop lifelong skills.
When she retired from teaching in 1997, she supplied in different communities and in 2001 used her gift of teaching once again when she joined Spirasi, an organisation set up by the Spiritan Fathers when the first influx of asylum seekers and refugees came to Ireland. Gerardine began to teach them English and following a year’s Sabbatical break in 2005, continued to teach adult immigrants when she lived in Walkinstown and Donnybrook communities. She developed close friendships with many of those she taught.
Gerardine was a very gifted person. Her love of gardening was well known by all who knew her. She was closest to God in a garden where she excelled in choosing a variety of coloured flowers, shrubs and plants that brought colour and life to a garden during the different seasons of the year. Photography was one of her many hobbies and she captured her love of nature and gardens in the many photographs which she entered in numerous competitions.
Gerardine suffered from ill-health for many years, but she accepted this bravely and with dignity and good humour. Her courageous acceptance of suffering and her independence and determination to keep going inspired many. She was missioned to Lakelands in March 2012 and continued to live life to the full as much as possible. She travelled to Lourdes every year as a volunteer with the Lourdes Kindness Pilgrimage, as she had done for many years and was a pilgrim with the sick herself on her last trip. It was her love for Our Lady that drew her to Lourdes each year to help with the sick as well as, as she said in her own words, ‘those who had given up all hope of finding happiness and peace in their lives’.
Gerardine transferred to Beechlawn Nursing Home just three weeks before she died. There she appreciated so much the kindness and care of the staff, as she had experienced in Lakelands. In Beechlawn, as in Lakelands, she expressed delight in the view of the lovely gardens from her bedroom window. She died unexpectedly, but very peacefully, on 18th April 2024, following a stroke she suffered the previous day. Gerardine was buried in the community cemetery in Donnybrook, following her Requiem Mass in Star of the Sea Parish Church, Sandymount. May she in peace.
