Sr. Rose O'Reilly R.I.P.
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Farewell to Sr. Rose On behalf of Sr. Maeve and our Cluny community we welcome all of you who have come to be with us for this farewell Eucharist for Sr. Rose. We welcome especially her brother Michael her sister Carmel, sister-in-law (Kathleen), nieces nephews, representatives of the Sisters of Mercy and friends.
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Rose’s family, remained very dear to her all her life so its nice we can all be together for this final celebration. In the context of age we see Sr. Rose’s death as rather premature. Even though she was 80, in the community we considered Sr. Rose as quite young, interested in everyone and every thing that went on around her. Unfortunately, Sr. Rose did not enjoy good health. She carried the burden of a serious heart condition for many long years. She learned to manage her health in a very normal way and remained very much actively present to the community. So as we gather here today we are sad at the void which will be experienced in the community and in the family. However, we all in various ways have treasured memories of her long years of service in various communities of the Province. Mt. Sackville claimed her for the longest period of 46 years in all.
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Her first assignment was in the junior boys school, a ministry she held for 14 years and which she loved. In their turn the wee boys loved her as a ‘Mother’ away from home. She was always gentle kind and helpful with an amazing sense of wit and humour which she held onto all her life and the remanants of which she would recall in the stories she would share with us from time to time. Sr. Rose was hugely welcoming and her long years in Mt Sackville merited her being fondly remembered by past pupils who would invariably ask about her and would be delighted to meet her once again. In addition to this very human side of her personality Sr. Rose was deeply spiritual and her prayer life was all important. Sr. Rose had a strong faith. Her love and trust in the Blessed Virgin and her Son Jesus was immense and admirable. Invariably the rosary beads entwined her fingers. Thus during her latter years of failing health she was able to hold on to what had sustained her during her life time bringing her peace, contentment and happiness in community living to which she remained very faithful. We thank the family for the gift of Sr. Rose to the congregation in the service of the Church.
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| She loved you all very much and enjoyed keeping contact with you. She took special care of Margaret over the years and loved the regular visits with Carmel to family members, so despite her fair share of pain she managed well and made the best of her daily routine. We thank in a very special way the staff of our Nursing Home who showed Sr. Rose, tender, loving care in all of her ten years in the nursing home. She acted as a very concerned neighbour up on floor three visiting her sister companions there, checking them out and assisting them in many and varied little ways that did not go unnoticed … they will miss her. We thank our Chaplain Fr. Desmond for celebrating the Eucharist with us here today and for administering the sacrament of the sick to Rose just 3 hours before she died May she now rest in perfect peace. | |
