Making Mass and the market seem like a world tour
Obituaries
Sister Judith Murnane RSJ - Born April 18 1929 - Died February 4 2026
Sister Judith Murnane was in her 80th year of Religious life when she died peacefully last month at Calvary Flora McDonald Lodge, Cowandilla.
As a Sister of St Joseph, Judith worked in Bondi and Woodburn before she returned to South Australia after her initial training and formation in Sydney. She lived in Kensington and worked at Mary MacKillop College, and in Yorketown, Berri, Kingswood, Aldgate and Rosewater.
Judith was a great music teacher. Her concerts were of an incredibly high standard and people would travel for more than 100 kilometres to watch them. She brought out the best in children and some went on to choose singing as a career.
Judith used her gift of music to build community in the areas where she worked. She was a brilliant accompanist and spent a huge amount of time with community groups especially In Yorketown and Berri.
Judith’s sister Mary was also a very talented violinist and their connection never faltered.
Judith worked in hospitals as a volunteer and loved meeting the patients and their families.
She ministered in a similar role in St Catherine’s at Berri and that organisation held a special place in her heart. Again, she was a contributing member of staff and the local hospital and community.
Judith had a great love of life. She could make a trip into the Cathedral for Mass and then on to the market for a sandwich and coffee seem like a world tour.
Everything she did was an adventure and a delight. She found pleasure in small things including her garden and having people over for a scone and a cup of tea.
Judith was a great storyteller and it never ceased to amaze those who heard them that all the stories were positively framed. She could make sailing the rough boat trip across Spencer Gulf sound like a Sunday School picnic.
The link between her Adelaide and West Coast families was a strong one. She would describe how kind her brothers were when they came to meet the ketch at night so that the children could sleep on the way to the farm, some hours away.
Judith loved her family dearly and that was always reciprocated. Family members, Patricia and Terry never flew to Adelaide from the west coast without seeing Judith and were at all her significant birthdays and Jubilee celebrations. Their support of Judith and anyone attached to her was lovely to witness.
Judith’s family had a deep connection with Germany and that branch of her family in Germany maintained contact throughout their lives. In Judith’s latter years there were visits from her nieces, nephews and grand-nieces from Germany and it brought her great joy.
In her last years at Flora, and especially during her last few weeks of life, Judith was deeply grateful to the staff for their care of her.
Judith did many things and they were all important but they are not the only measure of the woman. She was inspired and nourished by prayer and the Eucharist.
Sr Angela Maher RSJ
