On the morning of Our Lady’s Birthday, Sunday 8th September, 2013, the Community in Castleblayney was heading out to the farewell Mass of the Convent in St. Mary’s Parish Church. The mood was sad and bewildering. All the more so as Sr. Celine’s transport to the church was being organised, which involved wheelchair, accessible exit door, two nurses and an extra car. “One painful reality reflecting the other,” someone truly remarked. In fact the story of Celine’s terminal illness and death mirrored the closure of the Convent at each step of the way.
Castleblayney Convent
The palpable shockwaves through the Congregation in a packed church as Celine’s wheelchair made its way to the front row overshadowed the less obvious but nonetheless heartfelt pain in Community and parish at the demise of the Convent. After Mass, Celine was too ill to go on to Castleblayney College which hosted the cup of tea and parish reception. Her absence embodied the immense loss the Convent would be in the town and hinterland. Finally, on Wednesday 25th September, Sisters Margaret and Celine closed the Convent door for the last time. As they made the short journey down the avenue to their new home, Laurel Hill House, they were treading in the footprints of their esteemed foremothers. For on this day exactly 108 years earlier five brave Mercy women had stepped off the train from Enniskillen and up the brae onto this same site with its two-storey house which became their Convent. From here they set up the Blayney foundation.
The cycle had now come full circle, back to the future!
Site of first Convent, then Caretaker’s, now Sister’s Residence – Laurel Hill House
Two days later Celine was on the move again, this time to hospital. Her next journey back to Laurel Hill House within a month, was in the hearse. Once more it was as if the big Convent had been her life, the new residence but a pause en route to her eternal home.
Continuing the parable we can imagine the communication still going on between Celine and the Convent she loved. Can you sense her appreciation of her beautiful home on the hill for the magnanimity, hospitality and prayer–filled spirit of compassion that she had constantly imbibed from breathing in its wholesome air? Grateful for its open-door lifestyle she can recall all the doors she breezed through and what they opened up and closed down in her own life. Doors of opportunity included her involvement with the education of growing boys and girls in secondary school, then expanding into parish, local and wider community, adult education and faith development, crèche and pre-school and much more, all eventually being housed and managed in Iontas, a dream-come-true for Celine.
The back door of the Convent with its large bronze key on the outside all day for most of its 101 year lifespan, was her favourite. Here she encountered Mercy Charism in action as knights of the road, travellers, sick or hungry children, teachers, parents, men and women making deliveries, Convent staff, carers and many more passed through seeking or giving a bit of TLC, a helping hand, a bite to eat, a prayer, a listening ear or a chat.
Turn the key and walk in
Finally from her heavenly armchair might she now plead with us all to make the Word of God our home as it was hers, with the Gospel reassurance that this will set us free as she is now free indeed? Now there’s a thought to bring to your next Community, Area Group or Strand meeting!
Make my Word your home (John 8:32)
Joan McManus rsm
Northern Province
