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Sister Patricia Sweeney Enters Eternal Life
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Sister Patricia Sweeney passed away suddenly at the Motherhouse in Magheramore, Wicklow, Ireland on Sunday 16th November, 2008. Her
Funeral Mass was celebrated on Tuesday 18th
November at 11.30am in the convent chapel after
which she was laid to rest in the convent cemetery. May she rest in peace.
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A large crowd gathered in Magheramore on Tuesday 18th November, 2008 for the farewell rites for Sister Patricia Sweeney, RIP. The community chaplain, Fr. Pat Donohoe, SSC, was the chief celebrant at the Mass of the Resurrection with fourteen other priests concelebrating. Among them was the Abbot Emeritus of Roscrea Abbey, Dom Laurence Walsh, several Columban Fathers, priests from her native Galway, priests who had worked with her in Chile and local priests. Her sisters, Kathleen and Rita, with two more generations of the Sweeney family were amongst those who filled the chapel to capacity. The Directress of Loreto House Formation Institute which Patricia founded, Sisters of other congregations, friends from far and near and Columban Sisters from the communities in Ireland were also present. The prayers and hymns which were beautifully sung were very appropriate as was the touching homily given by Sister Ita Hannaway. Many family members had special roles in the Liturgy: her nephew John Sweeney read the First Reading; Michael Sweeney, Patricia Keane, nephew and niece, Kevin Casey and Rosemary King, grandnephew and grandniece, read Prayers of the Faithful. Her nieces Mary Geoghegan and Rita Sweeney and her grandnieces Ciara Sweeney and Helen Hughes took part in the Offertory Procession. When the ceremony was over her nephews shouldered the coffin out of the chapel and all processed to the cemetery. It was a bright, calm and mild November day with birds chirping as the graveside prayers were recited and the final hymn "I will raise her up" rang out in the clear air. The grave was covered, with beautiful wreaths as we said our final farewell to Patricia . Most of the people joined the community in a tasty meal in the dining room before returning home. It was a fitting tribute to dear Sister Patricia, helping to alleviate the grief and shock after her sudden death. May she now enjoy the eternal presence of the God whom she served so well.
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Homily at
Funeral Mass For Sister Patrica Sweeney |
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I know we all share the sense of shock and loss which Patricia’s death has brought into our lives, and yet I feel sure that she would not wish us to grieve at her going but rather to ponder for a short space the mystery which her life and death invite us to contemplate. Our gospel today speaks of a treasure and of the apparent recklessness of the finder who invested everything in order to possess it. The parable reminds me of Patricia and of what could be called the reckless faith with which she dared to give her all for the treasure which she found. The field of her early life was the faith-filled field of her family, set in the rugged, enduring grandeur of Connemara. In the Sweeney/Heanue family she witnessed and participated in the great-heartedness, generosity and compassion which led her to find her own treasure – the vocation to be a missionary religious as a Columban Sister. This treasure, she knew, was not for herself alone, but was to be spent in its totality for others according to the values which Jesus taught and for which He gave His life. Patricia grasped her treasure firmly and, little by little, became aware of what it would demand of her if she were to spend it in the manner exemplified by Jesus. She would venture her all for the sake of the Gospel while simultaneously attaining the fulfilment of her own humanity and of her total life. In
the course of His life Jesus spelled out what
dedication to the cause of His Father’s Kingdom
would mean for anyone who would be His associate in
spreading the good news and experience of God’s
love. Such a one would bring – and even more
importantly – be This is what Patricia took on when she made First Profession as a Columban Sister. She would go where she was sent and, as sent, meet the challenges, bear the hardships, take the risks and cherish the consolations, all of which form the fabric of missionary religious life. Education brings liberation from the stigma of illiteracy and offers hope in the possibility of taking one’s place amongst the educated in society. In California, United States, where Patricia was first assigned she watched her pupils increase their literacy skills and rejoiced when they responded to her teaching and grew in awareness of God’s presence and love in their lives. In later years she continued her education ministry amongst the poor in Dublin where she is fondly remembered today. In Chile, South America, where small Christian communities struggled with problems besetting the church and the country in general she took her place in the Sisters’ mission, always encouraging, guiding, teaching and giving of her many gifts as she accompanied the people through difficult days and celebrated with them during joyous times. Thorough preparation for a life of missionary dedication is essential for anyone who, having found her treasure, desires to commit herself totally and for life to the service of the gospel. To the delicate service of formation for missionary religious life Patricia gave herself with great capability – both within our own congregation and much further afield. Her own enthusiasm for mission, her missionary qualities and her realism regarding the challenge of mission guided many young women in discerning and developing their readiness for a lifetime of commitment to sharing the gospel. I’m thinking these days that Patricia was years ahead of the new president-elect of the United States, Barak Obama, with his slogan: Yes we can! She was surely a ‘Yes we can’ missionary. ‘Yes we can’ implement successfully the Decrees of Vatican 11, ‘Yes we can’ establish a Formation Institute to serve the needs of aspiring missionaries from the many congregations who need help in this matter. ‘Yes we can’ move into a small community amongst the poor in the heart of Dublin and try to be of service amongst them. And, finally, ‘Yes we can’ set up an Art class here in Magheramore and find a qualified teacher for those of us whose physical energies may be failing but who still have other gifts to explore. ‘Yes we can’ as Sweeney family keep alive the great heritage which is ours to treasure. Patricia was a great missionary. She followed no particular method, so great was her insight into the immediate needs of a person or situation. Neither did she pay much attention to punctuality. She was missionary of ‘timing’ rather than of time – often to the frustration of her companions in community and elsewhere, but never, ever to the neglect of anyone whom she saw to be in need of comfort, consolation or simply of a listening ear. I’ve said that she was a woman of ‘timing’ and this was never more true than in her final weeks amongst us. She knew that the skein of her life was growing thin and that her great heart had given almost all that it had to give, yet despite the anxiety of many of us she headed off to the West where her life story began, to the place where she had found her treasure. She would be with her dearly loved family once more – but, typical of Patricia, it was an open-ended ‘once more’. ‘Maybe I’ll come back after Christmas’ she said to Kathleen and Rita. But her timing had been too fine, too, too close to God’s timing for the close of her life. She won’t be with us for Christmas but she won’t be too far away. Our Second Reading reminds us that she is with that grand company of valiant people with robes washed spotless in the laundry of life. She will be near us, easing our pain, sensitive to our needs and helping us to move on without her. And if I am not greatly mistaken she will be making a few suggestions to God regarding the managing of Heaven, maybe, even, suggesting a few amendments to the Ten Commandments. We give her back to God today, grateful for her life with us and we say Yes, Patricia, ‘Yes we can’ continue our lives to their completion, true to our heritage and spirit as Sweeneys and Columbans, loving one another, trusting God and being grateful for the blessings of each day.
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