Sr. Laurence Keenan R.I.P.

Farewell to Sr. Laurence 
On behalf of Sr. Morag our Superior General, Sr. Maeve and our Cluny Community, we welcome Lily, Mary, Pat,  Lar and their families to join with us in celebrating and giving thanks to God for the inspiring life of our dear Sr. Laurence. Her life began in the Keenan homestead in Co. Kildare. Here she was privileged to have witnessed and imbibed Christian family values from her parents and siblings.

These values remained with her, and were deepened, as she travelled the journey of her long life, witnessing to these same values as she made her contribution to the education of young women in India, the Ongoing Formation of Junior Professed Sisters, the exigencies of administration on the General Council of the Congregation  and, more recently on her return to Ireland, in her involvement in parish work in St. Jude’s, Templeogue. In 2004, she came back to Mt. Sackville and moved gently into retirement.  Sr. Laurence, then Bridget Keenan, was a boarder in Mt. Sackville in the 1940’s. This was the environment the Lord seemed to use to nourish the seed of her missionary vocation. On completion of her novitiate in Ferbane and later her university training, she was destined for evangelisation in India, initially, at least. How she loved India! Her many years of dedication and commitment seemed to have inspired other young Indian women to follow in the steps of Anne Marie Javouhey.  

As the news of her death reaches India and other far off missions we can well  imagine tinges of sadness at the loss of such a heroic missionary, but coupled with sadness will be wonderful memories of worthwhile interaction with her. Who then was Sr. Laurence?   Each one of us and the many others who knew her at different levels of interaction will have different things to say of her.

However, all of us would agree that first and foremost Sr. Laurence was a woman of great  faith, a faith tested and deepened no doubt, by personal family tragedy in the untimely tragic death of Sr. Francis Teresa in 1977 in the West Indies and more recently in the tragic death of her younger brother, Eddie, with whom she bonded closely from the time he was born; she being some twelve years his senior.   These tragic events remained deep in her heart and, like Mary, she would have pondered them in her prayer. Yes Sr. Laurence was profound. I suppose it was inevitable that these events would have cast a shadow of sadness on her sensitive disposition.
Other lovely qualities which were obvious to all of us were her gentleness, her great respect for the other, her capacity to remain hidden taking the last place.  

She was a woman of great intelligence but it was never on show. One was apt to find her intent on caring for little things she found out of place, disorder was definitely something that had to be addressed and she was always at hand in this respect.  We thank God for the privilege of having known and lived with her At this time we would like to thank:  The Keenan family for having given her to us, for keeping their hospitality doors open to Sr. Laurence  over her many years overseas and for supporting her in love and friendship when the shadows lengthened.  To the staff of St. Joseph’s Nursing Home we say a very big thanks for their care and concern in her recent illness. To Fr. Desmond who never ceased to pray for Sr. Laurence anointing and blessing her regularly over the last two months of  her life. She was in truth, truly blessed. May God be glorified and in her death!