The Conferring of the Pro Ecclesia Pontifice on Sister Dympna at St Joseph’s Church Colwyn Bay, 8th December 2009
22 February 2010
There was an atmosphere of great joy and celebration at St. Joseph's Church when family, community, friends and Sisters of Mercy gathered for the conferring of Sr Dympna's Papal award: Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. The Pro Ecclesia is an award of the Roman Catholic Church for exceptional services to a broader, larger sector of society than the parish community.
On July 31st Sr. Dympna retired from her post as Manager of the 'Sisters of Mercy, Nursing Home' in Colwyn Bay, North Wales - a post she had held for twenty-four years. It brought to an end 40 years of dedicated professional service to the sick and elderly. This award is a timely and fitting recognition of all those years of pastoral and physical care which encompassed so much more than the title 'nurse' conveys.'
Sister Dympna was born in Hollyford, Co. Tipperary, Ireland in 1944, the sixth of eleven children. Her nursing career began in Birmingham and it was there that she experienced the call to Religious Life and joined the Sisters of Mercy in 'Werneth Grange', Oldham in 1962. After making Final Profession of Vows as a Sister of Mercy she continued her professional training in Preston and later in Cheam in Surrey.
As a nurse and Sister of Mercy she proved herself to be a woman after Catherine McAuley’s own heart. Her nursing skills, compassion, sense of humour and great capacity for listening, were deeply appreciated by patients and staff. There was as much healing of spirit and soul as of physical pain and illness under her care, as patients and staff opened their hearts to one who could listen with compassion, empathy and understanding.
Recognising these gifts Bishop Edwin Regan requested that she become part of the pastoral team for the care of the elderly priests of the Wrexham Diocese. Dympna accepted this invitation and became a dedicated and highly valued member of the team. This is a ministry dear to the hearts of all former Oldham Sisters. The Oldham Congregation, Sr. Dympna’s Alma Mater, always recognised, as a special ministry, the need to care for the clergy of North Wales which was and is a poor diocese.
Dympna was aware that sometimes kindness, good nature and generosity, can be abused but in the spirit of Catherine McAuley she believed:
“It is better to relieve a hundred imposters, than to suffer one really distressed person to be sent away.”
Irish born Sister Dympna, really fell in love with Wales, and the Welsh people grew to love her and what she stood for. Minds and hearts have changed over the years. When Sisters of Mercy from Oldham first came to Colwyn Bay in 1910, anti-catholic feeling was strong. This was slowly changed by the example of the Sisters who started the first Catholic school in Colwyn Bay and through the open, gracious welcome offered by the Nursing Home to all comers, Christian and non-Christian alike.
Sr. Dympna’s long connection with the Nursing Home had no small part in this change of attitude. She attended funerals in the Welsh Chapels, Churches, and Crematorium, even aired a knowledge of the welsh language. She was ahead of her time in inclusiveness. The local medical profession and community, respected her professionalism and sense of fun.
The recognition of her contribution to the mercy family and mercy ministry has given great joy to those who know her well and it was wonderfully expressed the day the Pro Ecclesia was conferred.
This was an occasion for the gathering of the clans: family members from Ireland, England and Wales including her brother Denis, an Irish Christian Brother working in Africa; Religious Sisters from north, south, east, and west; many people from the local area, the majority of whom were non-Catholic and seven members of the Leadership Team from Yeadon. All joined to form a packed congregation in St Joseph’s Church. The Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated by Bishop Edwin Regan and sixteen priests one of whom was Sr. Dympna’s nephew Fr. Lorcan O’ Reilly OMI.
Bishop Edwin gave an inspiring sermon which was woven around the meaning of service using Our Lady and Sr. Dympna as examples. Family and school friends read the Scriptures and presented the gifts. It was wonderful to hear Welsh voices raise the roof singing the Gloria to the tune Cwm Rhonda. Two parishioners sang Myfanwy and members of the family sang Ag Criost An Siol. For many it was their first experience of the Mass and spoke of how moved they were.
After the celebration of Mass 150 guests went for a meal in
the Imperial Hotel in Llandudno. Meals
out are nearly always a gamble but the meal and service could not be faulted.
Fr. Bernard Eager, a sincere friend of the Nursing Home and Sr Dympna, in a
very unobtrusive way moved things along.
Before the meal Sr. Dympna spoke her feelings of thanks. A woman of few words they were heartfelt and included words in Welsh, Irish and English. At the end of the meal Sr. Patricia Bell, Institute Leader of the Sisters of Mercy thanked Sr Dympna for her life lived as a Sister of Mercy.
Accolades can carry us away but when they come from people you live and work with they are to be treasured. Sr. Dympna ended her speech with the words.
'IS AR SCATH A CHEILE A MHAIREANN NA DAOINE'
'It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.'
These words reflect Sr Dympna’s belief in team work, power of community and trust in God.
From all of us in Colwyn Bay
Gra agus Bennacht.
