Sr Michael Majella Cummins
1929 -2023
Born: 11/07/1929
Entered Religious Life: 08/10/1956
Died: 16/12/2023
Margaret Mary Cummins, the eldest of nine children, was born to Patrick Cummins and Mary Mulally in Boola, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary on the 11th July 1929. She entered the Religious Sisters of Charity in Milltown on the 8th October 1956 and was received as a Novice on the 30th April 1957, taking the name Sr. Michael Majella. She made her First Profession on the 1st May 1959.
For almost her entire Religious life, Sr. Majella ministered in the Irish Province, with the exception of two years spent in Walthamstow, England as Housekeeper and a period of Sabbatical spent in Kinnoull in Scotland. In the years following her profession she spent brief periods of time in Milltown in the Sacristy and later as a student. In her early days she ministered also in Tramore, Kilcreene, Waterford, Stanhope Street, Waterford, and St. Joseph’s, Kilkenny, mostly as Housekeeper and Housekeeper and Ministress in Waterford.
In 1962 she was missioned to Foxford where she spent twenty-one years as Housekeeper and Social Worker and for three years as Ministress. Majella had a deep love for the poor and all her service and hard work was to enable, support and help people. It is remembered that while in Foxford she visited the most distant houses to bring hep and comfort to the elderly and those living alone. Often these homesteads were guarded by loyal but ferocious dogs and she later regaled her communities with many anecdotes of her encounters with them, leading to hearing her hearty laugh.
Sr. Majella loved the West and in the course of her life she spent time in most of our houses in the West, Foxford, Clarinbridge and Benada. In fact, Majella was a farmer at heart, loving all things in nature. From Foxford she was missioned to Benada as Social Worker and Ministress. She was one of the last sisters to minister in Benada and is well remembered there.
As soon as she finalized the closure of Benada she was granted Sabbatical time in Donnybrook and in 1988 she attended a renewal course in Kinnoull, in Scotland. After her Sabbatical she was missioned to Temple Hill to help with the closure. From there she moved to Gardiner Street for a year, before being missioned in 1989, to Walkinstown as Parish Sister and Social Worker. In Walkinstown she took charge of the Social Service Centre and worked tirelessly to develop the Centre. She had a group of totally dedicated lay people helping her, some of whom renewed their acquaintance with her when she retired to Walkinstown in 2018, attended her funeral and who are still volunteering in the Centre. Majella and her helpers catered for between 50/60 elderly people who were welcomed into the Centre each day, took part in many activities and had a four course freshly cooked dinner. She herself was a great cook and often helped out in the kitchen. She organized outings and treats and perhaps the most looked forward to was, the week’s holiday to Kerdiffstown each year. For weeks before the event Sr. Majella collected goodies for this holiday and then would travel down beforehand with her car laden down. It was always a great week and was looked forward to and talked about for many a day. When Majella returned to Walkinstown in her 89th year, one of the Parishioners said: ‘I’m delighted, you know, with Majella, what you see is what you get.’ Majella was sincere, accepting, generous and extremely hard working. She never thought of herself, it was always others: Clients, Family and Community.
When Majella was transferred to Clarinbridge in 2004 she ministered in the parish of Ballybane, in Galway. She was very involved in all the Parish activities. Together with Fr. John and Kathleen and many other colleagues they made a very great team. Ballybane was a vibrant Parish, catering for the spiritual and social needs of the people. Majella loved her ministry there and was broken hearted when she had to leave. Although blessed with good health, her eyesight was failing and her vision was greatly impaired. She could no longer drive. Her little red car had been such a familiar sight as she drove to Ballybane for her work, collecting clients on the outskirts of Galway for the many social and religious functions in the Parish.
When Clarinbridge Convent closed, Majella was missioned once more to Walkinstown where she spent four happy years reconnecting with people she had known in her previous ministry. In August 2022 her health began to fail she had to avail of nursing care in Catherine McAuley House, Beaumont. Known for her liking for tea, the Walkinstown Community called the song, ‘I like a nice cup of tea in the morning’, Majella’s signature song.