Sister Gabrielle McManus is a Mercy Sister worthy of the name. In the following interview, she speaks of her discernment about Religious Life and her initial ministries. Not one to ignore current needs, one of her many initiatives was to set up cross-border communications between her students and others in the North of Ireland, during the Troubles.

The song she chose for the broadcast is Count Your Blessings and this is something she has lived over the years.

Gabrielle is asked a few times by the interviewer if the next step was to put her feet up, but of course, this is not how we do things! She was invited to return to the programme on the following week, as there hadn’t  been enough time to cover all the different events of her life. In this second interview, we hear how she went to explore Eastern Europe at the end of the Cold War and how she again made connections for students from two different realities. It seems as if we Irish are not new to getting money from Europe.

Gabrielle tells her own story, as follows:

 Growing UpGabrielle on her First Communion Day

As a native of Roscommon town I attended both the primary and secondary Mercy schools in the town. A Mercy nun taught me every year in the Primary School, except one. Sr. Myra Muldoon, who now lives with me in Athlone, taught me in the secondary school. She still calls me Rhona McManus. I have very happy memories of my school days and am grateful to my parents and to my teachers for the many opportunities I was afforded. I still have a photo of my Senior Infants Class, dated 25th November, 1948, as well as a photo of our Liturgical Choir from 1956.

Apart from the regular subjects we studied at Second Level we were also afforded the opportunity to take part in three operas – Paris in Spring, The Mermaid and Ruddigore. Among the other extra curricular activities we had were debating, tennis, table tennis and an orchestra to mention but a few. In 2012 thirty-eight ladies from our class of 1962 met to mark the 50th anniversary of our leaving school. During Mass on the day we placed six candles on the altar in memory of the six girls from the class who had died. The candles were later given to their families.

Early Religious Life

After joining the Sisters of Mercy of the Diocese of Elphin in Sligo in 1962 I qualified as a primary school teacher in Carysfort Teacher Training College and taught in Sligo for ten years. My teaching included producing eight plays in Irish with Senior Infants, four or five of which won provincial and national awards.

Having attended the first meeting in Sligo in 1971 to organise a sports event (as athletic events were termed then) I became actively involved in the development of the Community Games Movement. I served as County Sligo Secretary until 1977 by which time thirty local committees were organizing competitions for young people in some twenty disciplines. During this time I was also involved at national level and have memories of attending development meetings in Derry, Wexford and Longford, to mention but a few of the counties we visited, promoting the movement.

After further study at Manchester University I worked with the North Western Health Board piloting the development of Health Centres in the rural parts of Co Sligo and North Leitrim. This entailed trying to identify the needs of people in different areas and endeavouring to develop services to meet these needs. Of course older people were the dominant group in most of the rural areas.

  The day before Gabrielle entered Religious Life

Between 1987 and 1989 I was a member of the Christian Renewal and Reconciliation Centre in Rostrevor, Co Down. We endeavoured to promote peace and understanding by reaching out to people on both sides of the divide, especially to the people of Northern Ireland.

At Summerhill College, Athlone

In September 1989 I went to Summerhill College, Athlone, as Librarian, and helped students with various activities over the next twenty years. These included assisting with the preparation of projects for the British Telecom (BT) Young Scientists Exhibition, encouraging and supporting students to fulfill the requirements for Gaisce, the President’s Award, and promoting peace and understanding by organising exchanges between Summerhill College and students in Northern Ireland.

Six groups received awards at the BT Young Scientists Exhibition; 1st and 2nd places in the Senior Section, 1st and 2nd places in the Intermediate Section and two projects were Highly Commended. Many students merited Bronze, Silver and Gold Gaisce Awards. Eighteen annual exchanges took place between Summerhill College and St. Catherine’s College and The Royal School, Armagh. We also did a few exchanges with schools in Newry and Banbridge.

Other Projects

During my time at Summerhill I was also involved in a few other projects. As Public Relations Officer for the Great Famine Commemoration Committee I encouraged people, in Ireland and abroad, to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Great Irish Famine. I was a member of the Editorial Board for the 400 page History of the Diocese of Elphin  which was published in 2000 and for the Illustrated History of the Diocese which was published in 2007. It was a truly memorable experience to have assisted with the hosting of the Special Olympics in Dublin in 2003.

International Youth Meetings

In 1990 I took part in an Extra Mural Course at the University of Lublin in Poland, where Pope John Paul II had taught. Following the fall of Communism, Polish people were anxious to develop links with the West so, in 1994 and 1995, I arranged exchanges between Polish and Irish young people under an European Union (EU) Pilot Scheme. The EU scheme, that was subsequently introduced, required the involvement of at least two EU and two non-EU countries, and for the next few years, we had a number of meetings/youth conferences involving Polish, Czech, Irish, Northern Irish and Welsh young people. There was a different theme for each meeting during which the participants made presentations about their countries, shared aspects of their cultures and led workshops on topics related to the theme. They also took part in a number of other interactive activities. Then, in order to extend our efforts at promoting peace and understanding across Europe, other countries were invited to become involved in our meetings. In March 2000, we hosted a Special Millennium Event at Summerhill College involving some 250 young people and their leaders from a number of countries across Europe. Eventually most European countries were taking part in what became known as the Copernicus Project. From 2006 groups from Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine were also involved. By 2010 over sixty Copernicus Project International Youth Meetings had taken place, involving hundreds of young people from all over Europe.

Receiving an Award for one of her many Projects

It would seem that the Lord was preparing me at each phase of my life for what was to come. I thank Him for the health and strength he has given me and hope I have used my abilities to help to make the world a better place. Ways and means of responding to needs, as I saw them, seemed to come my way. No one can measure the impact of his/her actions but I trust that my endeavours have had a positive impact on the lives of others. Since the years are creeping up on me I am now involved with my peers, encouraging and supporting each other in leading fulfilling lives for as long as we can.

Gabrielle McManus rsm
Western Province