The life of Sister Mary Carmel celebrated at Requiem Mass
Augustinian Sister of Mercy fondly remembered by the Saint John's Catholic Church
Shirley Juan
Saint John’s Catholic Church
The Augustinian Sisters of Mercy, Parishioners of Saint John’s Catholic Church and many members of the Estcourt community celebrated the life of Sister Mary Carmel (88) at the Requiem Mass on September 18.
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Sister Mary Carmel was born Mary Philomena Collins on August 9, 1931, in Castlehaven in the County of Cork, Ireland. She joined the Augustinian Order at the Boarbank Hall Convent in Cumbria on September 30, 1949, at the tender age of 18.
She took her first vows there in 1952 and shortly thereafter, she came to South Africa. Here, she studied towards a Teaching and Religious Education Diploma at the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg. She took her final vows at the Augustinian Convent in Ladysmith in February 1957.
She was fluent in French and Afrikaans, and taught at the Convent School until it closed down in the early 70s. Sister Mary was known to be an amazingly humble, wise, intuitive, empathetic, generous and caring person. Some even described her as saintly, extraordinary, a fountain of knowledge and deeply faithful.
Sister taught catechism for over 30 years, and three generations of parishioners attest to her preparedness for her lessons and how she lived her faith. It was always a joy to walk into her beautiful, well-resourced, well-organised classroom. The atmosphere always lifted your spirits and you felt yourself treading lightly, as she did.
The other sisters jokingly referred to Sister Mary Carmel as ‘Twinkle Toes’. Not just because of her amazing energy and upright posture, but because of her purposeful, dignified strides. She was an Irish dancer of note. When the sisters recall their convent concerts, Sister Mary Carmel’s dance items were always a delight. Sister Mary Carmel was truly a missionary all her life.
She would always find someone to take her to Kwezi, Trenchtown, Esigodlweni or Colita, where she taught catechism in parishioners’ homes and would even get older family members to join in the prayers. She always took along little gifts for children and their families.
Her dainty floral arrangements, stones, tree bark and shells all attested to her efforts to glorify her Creator. Her flowers in the convent chapel were always a visual treat. So too were her Nativity scenes at various places in the convent. Sister Mary Carmel valued the work of Hospice and would visit the sick at Shepstone Place for the Aged, as well as the sick in their homes.
She did all this until she herself could scarcely walk upright and succumbed to further complications of pneumonia.
Some people have said that she was impeccably organised. She would always be collecting mass leaflets, programmes and other memorabilia.
She was the local church’s ‘historian’ and always made a point of learning people’s names. Above all, Sister Mary Carmel loved to spend time with her Lord and Master, immersing herself in prayer.
Whenever you were in need of prayer and you called her, you could rest assured that she would light a candle in the Convent chapel and pray for you. She is survived by a sister in America, as well as nieces and nephews.
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