An inspirational and prayerful life
Obituaries
Margaret Hehir: Born March 5 1938; Died December 18 2025
Margaret was born in Snowtown, the second child of Lawrence and Dorothy Hehir who created a faith-filled family for their five children: Anne, Margaret, Anthony, Moira and Christine.
Margaret attended the Juniorate at Aldgate for her secondary education and entered the Sisters of St Joseph in February 1955. She was professed as a Sister of St Joseph on January 6 1958. Her first four years of ministry were at Barmera teaching music and children in Grades 1-3. These years working with Sister Maurice Roach provided her with a foundation that benefited her for the rest of her life. From Sr Maurice she learnt about Epikeia – a Greek word describing a principle in moral theology that places human dignity and wellbeing above the strict letter of the law. In Margaret’s own words, “In the four years I lived with Maurice, she taught me that the values and restrictions of religious life” ..needed to be… “seen in their proper context. She taught me more about what was important than I learnt in the years since. I am so grateful I had such a great beginning as a Sister of St Joseph.”
From then on, Margaret was able to freely invite family to stay with her in community. She continued to do this wherever she served – on the Peterborough motor mission, teaching music and taking catechetical classes across the mid north; in Aldgate where she taught Years 8 to 10; at Plympton teaching Years 1 and 2; the motor mission at Georgetown; Yorketown where she was community leader, school principal and music teacher, and Renmark where again she was principal and teaching Years 6 and 7.
By 1979 Margaret had packed what we would regard as a lifetime of ministry in less than 20 years. But the pattern of constant change and adaptation would now increase rather than settle down.
The next three years marked her introduction to Mary MacKillop College, a place dear to her heart from then on. There she taught Year 8 and served as deputy principal.
In 1982 she began working at Corpus Christie Community, Greenvale in Victoria – a home for 84 men with alcoholic addiction and complex needs. Her two years as a volunteer there in 1982-83 had a profound effect on her. Rather than being overwhelmed, she described it as one of the most significant ministries in her life.
Perhaps the experience of venturing into unknown territory gave her the confidence to next respond to a Congregational request to take up nursing training.
Typically, Margaret succeeded, graduating from St John of God Hospital, Ballarat, in 1984 and then midwifery training in 1989, achieving distinctions for both.
Unexpectedly, Margaret then spent six months at Mirrilingki in the Kimberley – another transforming experience that dramatically changed how she saw herself, the world and her ministry.
In the 90s, Margaret worked as a midwife and director of Mission at St Margaret’s Hospital in Darlinghurst, Sydney.
Her return to South Australia saw her again filling new and different roles – school nurse and parish worker at Hindmarsh; Tappeiner Court administrator and school nurse at Mary MacKillop College; and finally, whilst completing the required course, she worked as a counsellor and pastoral carer at Mary MacKillop College until her retirement in 2012.
Margaret established warm connections with people, always able to combine care and compassion together with times of gentle humour.
In March 2014 Margaret moved to Kensington. Still with a missionary heart and a readiness to engage with others, she became widely known for her commitment to praying for others. She kept a book containing hundreds of names of people for whom she prayed each day.
Her brother-in-law David Ballinger recalled Margaret ‘having a word’ with God – as she often would say – when the forecast for a family wedding looked threatening and of course the day was perfect. He said Margaret was always there for family members to listen and to guide without judgement. “She never judged anybody, she just listened and gave you the information you wanted,” he said.
In April 2023, as her health declined, Margaret moved to Calvary Flora Retirement Community where with other Josephite sisters she continued her ministry of prayer. Her smile of welcome said it all.
The Irish author and spiritual writer, Daniel O Leary, wrote in the year before his death ‘I know there is something beautiful waiting for me’. Margaret also knew that her God in whom she always trusted was waiting for her.
May all we loved about Margaret continue to find expression in the ways we love one another, respond to God’s mission and face whatever the future holds with courage, as she did throughout her inspirational life.
– Margaret Kenise Neill rsj
