Sr Paul Andrew McLaughlin
1944-2025
Born: 6th November 1944
Entered Religious Life: 15th February 1971
Died: 27th April 2025
Annie McLaughlin, daughter of James McLaughlin and Sarah McLaughlin (nee Lennon) was born in Airdrie, Scotland on the 6th November 1944. She entered the Religious Sisters of Charity in Milltown on the 15th February 1971 and was received as a Novice on the 25th August 1971 taking the name Sr Paul Andrew. She made her First Profession on the 21st October 1973.
Sr Paul Andrew trained as a State Enrolled Nurse before she entered and following her Profession she ministered in the following places: The Hospice, Clydebank; St Patrick’s Hospital, Cork; St Mary’s Merrion; St Vincent’s Hospital, Elm Park (where she did further Nursing training as well as doing her Midwifery training in Holles Street); The Hospice, Harold’s Cross; OPD and Breast Clinic at St Vincent’s, Elm Park; Marmion House (Household Maintenance) and Beechfield Manor Nursing Home.
Sr Paul loved nursing and from the very beginning of her training in St Vincent’s, she put her whole heart into the study as well as into the practice. Her tutor was heard to say that Sr Paul was the most reliable student she had ever had. Sr Paul brought this same reliability and commitment into her nursing ministry wherever she went and she always made sure that the patient came first. Her main focus in every situation was caring for other. She had a wonderful sense of humour and could always lighten what could become a tense moment with a bit of banter. The carers in the Nursing Home said they enjoyed how Sr Paul would joke with them and make them laugh.
Sr Paul was very fond of her family and travelled to Scotland every year to visit them. She was extremely proud of her Scottish roots and on the feast of St Andrew every year would be disappointed if the hymn to St Andrew was not sung at Evening Prayer. She was also an avid fan of Celtic Football Club; she knew everything about each of the players and would never miss a match on television.
When Sr Paul completed her nursing ministry she was missioned to Marmion House where she was involved in household maintenance and many other household duties. These tasks she carried out with the same dedication and meticulous attention for which she was noted in her nursing ministry. Like Mary Aikenhead, Sr Paul had a great rapport with the workmen who carried out maintenance work in Marmion House and she maintained an interest in them and their families over the years.
Sr Paul had a deep spirit of prayer and her love for the Blessed Sacrament was very evident as every afternoon you would find her praying in Marmion House chapel for a very extended period of time. In September 2023 Sr Paul spent some weeks as a patient in St Vincent’s Hospital and as she required extra care, she was transferred to Beechfield Manor Nursing Home in November where she settled in immediately. As already mentioned, she endeared herself to the staff with her happy and good-humoured disposition. Having spent one and a half years in the Nursing Home, Sr Paul gently and peacefully passed to her eternal reward after a short illness. It was April 27th, Divine Mercy Sunday, and Radio Maria was playing Amazing Grace softly in the background as Sr Paul entered eternal life. Six days before her death she was told that Pope Francis had died and she said, “I want to go with him”. May Sr Paul Andrew now rest in peace. Amen.
