Since this article was submitted to Mercy@live Sr. Assumpta Fitzgerald died on 29th April. May she rest in peace. Fr. Jim Griffin also died, RIP.
The 5th December, 2012 was a red letter day for Sr. Assumpta Fitzgerald at the Convent of Mercy, Balloonagh, Tralee, Co Kerry when she returned there from Fatima Home to celebrate her 100th birthday – 5th December, 1912 to 5th December, 2012.
Assumpta Fitzgerald rsm
The festivities began with Mass which was celebrated by Fr. Jim Griffin in the convent. This was followed by a celebratory lunch in the convent dining room. Fr. Seán Hannifin, Dean of Tralee, read the congratulatory greeting from President Michael D. Higgins. Sr. Liz Murphy, Provincial Leader, presented the lady of the day with a bouquet of flowers, a beautiful, greeting card and €100. Sr. Assumpta was extremely interested in the two €50 notes and kept a firm grip on them! Many gifts and good wishes were arriving for her during the afternoon.
Sr. Assumpta received a letter enclosing a “centenarian payment” from President Michael D Higgins in which an Uachtarán wished her a very happy birthday remarking: “Born, as you were, in the second decade of the twentieth century, you have lived through remarkable times in the history of Ireland and the world. You have witnessed remarkable changes in lifestyles and technological developments, unimaginable at the time of your birth in 1912.”
Celebratory Lunch
Sr. Assumpta is daughter of Michael and Mary Fitzgerald (nee Collins) from Kildimo, Co Limerick where she was born 5th December, 1912. She has five brothers and one Sister who became Sr. Kevin, a Mercy Sister in Limerick. They are all dead now except her brother, Tom, who was unable to travel to the celebration. She has spent eighty-one years of her life as a Sr. of Mercy, having entered in Balloonagh in 1931. She took First Profession Vows in 1934 and Final Profession Vows in 1937. Having trained as a Nurse in the Mercy Hospital, Cork she took up duty in St. Catherine’s County Hospital, Tralee in 1937 and nursed many generations of Kerry people there until she retired on the 5th December, 1977.
When she retired from hospital duty, together with Sr. Pius Collins, she joined the local social services group and worked with other volunteers to help the sick and the needy. They established a laundry service, to help the old and the needy, which is still in operation. They visited the house-bound, fundraised tirelessly, provided food and clothing for those needing help in times of scarcity. Above all she will be remembered for being very actively involved in founding Baile Mhuire, a recuperative centre for people who lived alone and needed care when discharged from hospital.
Sr. Assumpta was a great needle woman, knitting needles, crochet hooks, darning needles and fine needles were all put to good use well into her retirement years. She produced baskets full of beautifully crafted articles for sales of work in Tralee, Dublin and many other places. This was her way of helping to raise funds for the home and foreign missions.
When St. Catherine’s Convent closed she went to Moyderwell Convent where she spent a few happy years and when this convent closed she transferred to Catherine McAuley Home and finally to Fatima Home, Oakpark, Tralee.
Sr. Assumpta took as her motto at her Profession the words “Deo Gratias”. We say these words with her again today with gratitude to God for crowning her with good health and length of days.
Deo Gratias- buíochas le Dia!
Baiste Leen rsm
Southern Province
