Born: 01/11/1937
Entered: 04/02/1957
Died: 04/07/2024
Therese Culhane, daughter of Thomas Culhane and Margaret Culhane (nee O’Brien), was born in Dublin on 1st November 1937. She was the only girl in a family of four children and was baptised in the Church of St. Andrew, Westland Row. Her childhood years were spent in Sandymount, Dublin 4, and she attended Primary School at the Sisters of Charity Scoil Mhuire, Gilford Road. She received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Parish of St. Mary, Haddington Road and transferred to Holy Faith Secondary School, Haddington Road.
Therese completed her Preliminary Nurse Training before she entered the Sisters of Charity on 4th February 1957. She was clothed on 13th August in the same year and professed on 14th August 1959. Following her Profession, Therese was missioned to Hackney on 25th August 1959 to help in the wards of the Hospice. After two years, on 18th June 1961, she returned to Ireland and was missioned to Childcare in St. Joseph’s, Kilkenny, where she spent a further two years. On 29th September 1963 Therese began her official Nurse Training in St. Vincent’s Hospital, St. Stephen’s Green, and graduated after her 3-year Training on 1st August 1966.
On 30th September 1966 Therese was missioned to Childcare in Madonna House and remained there until she returned to St. Joseph’s, Kilkenny on 1st January 1968. On 4th September 1969 she began Paediatric Training in Temple Street Hospital and on 13th September 1971 she was missioned to Cappagh Hospital for Orthopaedic Training. She remained in Cappagh until 19th November 1984 when she returned to Temple Street until she retired from Nursing on 1st September 1990. Therese excelled as a nurse and is fondly remembered by many parents and staff for her tremendous love for the babies and children in Temple Street and the children in Cappagh Hospital who were physically challenged. Her kindness and care of all who were less-privileged were obvious to parents and staff alike.
Following her retirement as a nurse she felt called to Chaplaincy and began the first unit of CPE in the Mater Hospital in December 1990. She was involved in setting up a new Pastoral Care Department in Temple Street Hospital in 1991 where she ministered to parents and children. Her deep compassion and care of them resulted in many parents keeping in touch with her afterwards. In 1991/1992 she completed the Theology and Spirituality Diploma in All Hallows College and then completed the second Unit of CPE in St. Vincent’s, Elm Park from January – April 1993 and the third Unit of CPE in St. John of God Hospital, Stillorgan from June – August 1993. She was accredited by the Health Care Chaplaincy Board in February 1994.
Therese enjoyed a Sabbatical Year from 4th September 1998 and spent three months in South Africa visiting her brother, Fr. Michael OMI. She was attached to Temple Street Community during this time and during the time she was attending the Franciscan Study Centre in Canterbury for the one-year Sabbatical Course from 4th September 1998. Following the completion of the Course she was invited to become a member of Staff at the Centre from August 1999.
On 18th September 2001 Therese joined two other Sisters in a new Community in Balally, Dundrum, and began ministry with the Mission Effectiveness Team in the Province. She travelled to Australia on 5th September 2002 to spend time observing the Australian Mission Effectiveness Team in St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. She was warmly welcomed by our Sister Congregation and gained great experience with the Sisters and staff personnel. Therese returned to Balally in Dublin on 10th May 2003 and enthusiastically committed herself to working with Boards of Management and Staff of our various Healthcare Facilities, ensuring that they were familiar with the spirit and charism of our Foundress, Mary Aikenhead.
Therese retired from Healthcare on 31st August 2010 and moved to No. 4 Telford in Merrion. Here she was once again a member of a small Community. As always, she was a cheerful and lovely presence in community and never lost her good humour and sense of fun. Now she had time to listen to and enjoy the music she loved. She was also an avid reader, taking special joy in poetry. She loved life and visiting her family and meeting with her friends gave her much joy. Soon her health and eyesight began to fail but the aural reading of poetry and books were a great joy and comfort to her. When she finally retired to Lakelands Care Unit, she accepted her cross with courage and strength without a complaint and continued to live life as fully as possible. Therese was a woman of deep faith who was very faithful to prayer and to her calling as a Sister of Charity. She appreciated very much the kindness and care of the staff in Lakelands and also the expertise and care of the Doctors and staff in the Beacon and St. Vincent’s Hospitals.
In spite of her poor health, Therese’s unexpected and sudden death on 4th July 2024 was a great shock to Lakelands community and staff and to her family and friends. She had chosen her own Readings and hymns for her funeral – and her joy and trust in God are evident in what she chose. Her Requiem Mass was celebrated on 11th July by Fr. Brian de Burca OMI, Chaplain to Lakelands Community, and she was buried in our Community cemetery in Donnybrook. May she rest now in peace.
