Sr Maryanne Welsh, who has died aged 96, was one of hundreds of brave and adventurous young girls who left Ireland to come to Australia to become a Sister of St Joseph.
The Letter under the Pillow, written by Clare Ahern rsj, is a story of exceptional Irish women who left home and country to join the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph founded by St Mary MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison Woods. The story begins with the Spirit of Erin, saying:
‘Over the centuries oceans of tears flowed from those left behind as my children departed Irish shores for distant lands…they were young, brave and adventurous.’
Sr Maryanne was one of these 840 young, brave and adventurous young girls who left Ireland to come to Australia to become a Sister of St Joseph. Her older sister, Bridie, had already left home to become a Josephite.
Maryanne reflected later in life on how hard it must have been for her mother. Perhaps she was one who shed oceans of tears as two of her daughters departed for distant lands.
Maryanne was born in 1928 in County Kerry, the youngest child of Patrick and Nora and the much-loved sister of Willie, Bridie, Jack and Nora (all deceased).
Maryanne’s first 20 years of ministry were in primary education in city and country schools. She taught in Port Augusta, Croydon, Ottaway, Renmark, Mornington, Spalding and Kingswood.
She regarded each new place as a new adventure for her. She loved teaching and enjoyed the children and many are the stories she would tell of what the children in her classes did and said.
In about 1970 the Congregational leader asked if some Sisters would consider training to be nurses as there was a shortage of Josephites engaged in this ministry. So it was that in 1972 Maryanne set out on yet another adventure, this time to become a nurse.
For three years she was a student nurse at the St John God Hospital in Perth. From there she did two years geriatric nursing at Flora McDonald Lodge before going to NSW for a further three years of training and experience, including obstetrics at St Margaret’s Hospital in Darlinghurst.
Maryanne’s nursing ministry over the next 22 years included the Josephite Nursing Homes in South Perth and North Sydney, St Margaret’s Hospital, MacKillop Aged Care at Hunters Hill, and the Hostel at Kensington.
From 1994 Maryanne’s area of ministry centred on pastoral care. She lived and ministered in Balaklava, Largs Bay and then for 17 years at Croydon.
She moved to Calvary Flora four years ago in 2021 to receive support and, more importantly for Maryanne, she was able to care for and support her sister, Bridie, until Bridie’s death two years later.
In August 2023 Maryanne joined the Kensington community where she continued her ministry of prayer, together with her walks in the garden in all kinds of weather. She used to say that being out in the fresh air was a little bit of heaven for her. Her nieces also recalled that when Maryanne was back in Ireland on holidays she went out for a walk every day, ‘come rain, hail or shine’.
Being able to chat with her nieces and keep up with news of the family was a great joy for Maryanne, especially in her last year once she was introduced to WhatsApp and could see her dear ones as well as hear them.
In her 74 years as a Sister of St Joseph in Australia, Maryanne witnessed many changes, including the change from letter writing, at first with letters being sent back and forth by ship, then with letters arriving with an exciting “airmail” sticker on the envelope, to phone calls to video calls.
The Sisters at Kensington together with the carers and staff were inspired by Maryanne and treasured the last few months with her as she heroically lived with fast moving cancer and its accompanying discomfort, pain and treatments.
Maryanne moved to Mary Potter Hospice on Easter Sunday morning and moved to her eternal home only four days later. She was surrounded with love and prayer by the Sisters, ever at her side, and by those at home praying with her and for her.
We give thanks for Maryanne and her life of love and commitment.
We rejoice with Maryanne, our last Irish born Sister in SA, as she lives on in her next great adventure, living in the fullness of the great mystery of love.
We pay tribute too to the Sisters of St Joseph now living in Ireland and for every Irish Sister who has joined the Congregation – and we ask that they all may be truly blessed.
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