Last Irish Sister marks 65 years of religious life
Sister Dominic Kavanagh the last Irish Sister of the Saint Joseph of Cluny congregation in Seychelles has celebrated 65 years of religious work.
A thanksgiving mass presided over by Bishop Denis Wiehé was organised for the occasion at the St Joseph Convent in Victoria recently.
Friends, colleagues and past pupils of Sister Dominic attended the ceremony and congratulated the sister who came to Seychelles in October 1950 and has spent 62 of the 65 years of her religious life teaching in schools on Mahe.
It was in 1947, back home in Ireland that she took her religious vows after entering the convent in 1944.
She came to Seychelles accompanied by Sister Oliver soon after completing her teacher training in Scotland.
She still vividly recalled the long journey via Bombay, India which took her many days to reach Seychelles.
Looking back over so many years serving God and dedicating her life teaching Seychellois pupils, Sister Dominic says she is happy to have been able to make a difference in the lives of many of our citizens today.
“Many of my past pupils both from here and abroad still keep in touch,” she said.
“Some of them are very faithful and grateful and they come to visit me every now and then at the convent,” she said.
Now aged 86, Sister Dominic still enjoys reasonably good health and spends her time actively helping her colleagues at the convent.
She says she owes her relatively good health to the simple life she leads.
“I have always lived a simple life and I still do,” she said.
Sister Dominic – who in the past used to visit her family back home – said today she remains in touch with her five remaining family members who are scattered in five countries.
Source: NATION 4-4-12