Diamond Jubilee

On Saturday morning Sr. Dervilla Byrne led the group in a morning of prayer and reflection which was based on the theme of thanksgiving. During this time the sisters gave thanks to God for the many blessings received during 60 years of ministry to people who are poor. Their involvement in ministry was wide and varied as they recalled their experiences of nursing, teaching, parish visiting, social work and prison visitation. Although the rain poured down heavily on Saturday for most of the day, the spirit of this group wasn’t dampened in the least. Armed with umbrellas and raincoats they boarded a coach which took them off to Glendaglough for the afternoon. When they returned to Dublin they had a meal in the Daughters of Charity community house in Tallaght and celebrated the Eucharist together in thanksgiving for many graces received.. All of the sisters in the local community worked very hard in preparing for this special celebration of the Eucharist and for the festive meal which followed. It was a truly celebratory occasion for all the sisters marking their diamond jublilee.

On Sunday morning Fr. Michael Mc Cullagh CM celebrated Mass for the Diamond Jubilarians and during this celebration significant symbols of the sisters’ lives were brought to the altar for the offertory procession. These included the Constitutions of the Daughters of Charity, a roadmap for all Daughters of Charity to guide them in their life of service. After this celebration of the Eucharist, Sr. Catherine Prendergast Provincial addressed the group and thanked them warmly for their fidelity and service over a lifetime of ministry. She joined them for the midday meal after which the sisters gathered together for a group photo, something that would be a momentum of this happy occasion.

Thanks be to God for the lives of these sisters and for the people whose lives they touched. May they continue to enjoy good health and many blessings in the future.