Sister Mary Bridget

SISTER MARY BRIDGET QUINN (1882-1911)

Katie was the second youngest of 8 children, in the family of Henry Quinn and Elizabeth Molloy of Ballinahown, Blessington Co. Wicklow and the fourth of their daughters to join Religious Orders. She left home around 1902 after she acted as bridesmaid for her cousin Annie Mackey, when she married her brother John on the 19th February 1901. Her parents had both died in 1898 and brother John had inherited the home and his portion of the divided farm in Ballinahown.

After Katie was professed in 1905, she wrote a letter to her sister in law Annie. Only two pages of the letter are available and in it she talks of her two brothers Pat and James, still living in what was becoming a crowded two bedroom house, as three of Annie’s six children had by then arrived, Mary, Harry and Lizzie. She was concerned about brother James being ill, he actually died in 1907. She thanked her for a photo of brother Pat, remarking that she would be better pleased if he had written a few lines to her himself. She noted that he had grown into a fine strong man, as he was so boyish looking when she had left home. Pat went on to work in the Guinness Brewery and reared a large family in Rialto, Dublin.

Because the Good Shepherd Order does not have a central archival record system, it has been difficult to piece together how and where Sister Bridget actually joined. This is despite the best efforts of various Sisters here in Ireland and in Bangalore. One thing certain is that she stopped off in the French city of Marseille, where her photo was taken dressed in the habit of the Order in preparation for entry to the Novitiate, which was still a long way away in Bellary, described as being Out of Bangalore, in Southern India.

The vow peculiar to the works of the Order would appear to be an annual renewal of the vows If this is so then Katie completed two years probation, as her record shows, beginning in early 1903 and culminating in her final profession made at The Convent of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd of Angers at Bellary, out of Bangalore, in India on 4th February 1905 on what was a very memorable day for her, as the local newspaper reported on the ceremonies.

There is no further record of where she was, or what she was doing, from then until her death on 20th September 1911, just 6 years later. As her calling was to nursing it can be pretty well assumed that she spent her few short years attending the sick at St. Martha’s Hospital in Bangalore, where the Sisters worked as nurses for many years. Various diseases, rampant and incurable at the time, have been put forward as likely causes of her untimely death. Sister Naria Goretti O’Neill has said that the missionaries who went out in those days were greatly at risk due to the tropical climate and many succumbed to tropical diseases within a short time of arriving in India. Cholera was so bad in Vellore that the Sisters were obliged to move to Bellary in 1865. T.B. was also very prevalent in those days and the Sisters first heard from Ireland that Sr. Bridget could well have died from the dreaded disease of leprosy. Doctors and nurses were constantly in danger from infection from the very patients they were trying to help. Penicillin was not discovered for another 50 years. It was in 1950 that efforts were made to help the unfortunate sufferers of leprosy, when Mahatma Ghandi introduced regulations that would insure proper isolation and provide treatment for sufferers.

Sisters Anita Hodges and Bridget Paily in Bangalore and Eilish Kinnane in Ireland have been very interested and helpful. Because 1911 is such a long time ago, records were very scarce or even non-existent. Two of Sr. Bridget’s grand nieces, Margy Balfe on the 5th November 1986, and Sister Margaret Byrne on the same date, 5th November 2004, have visited the Convent in Bangalore and were both brought to the Calgary Cemetery, where the nuns are buried. As a result of these visits we have photos of the tombstone which bears the inscriptions of thirteen names, dating from 27th July 1892 to 3rd July 1926. Sr. Mary Bridget is name number 6. The tombstone is one of eighteen neatly arranged in the cemetery.

Dying so young, Katie Quinn never got the opportunity to realise her full potential and achieve what she had set out to do in her chosen profession. We must also remember that in 1905 the average life span was 45 years in Ireland and even less in India. In contrast to Katie, her four older sisters, Maryann, Jane, Lizzie and Bridget lived to ripe old ages. Although there is nothing to show what really happened to her, we can be assured that she departed this life in the company of those she had chosen to be with. Many prayers were said and hymns were sung to send her on her way to her eternal reward. Just as they were when she signed herself into religious life on Saturday the 4th April 1905.

This story appeared in an Indian Newspaper about 1905. The cutting from the paper was found in the Bible that came into the possession of Henry Quinn on May 8th 1868. The Bible remained in the family and was located in 1999. The Convent was situated in the City of Bangalore in Southern India.

RECEPTION AND PROFESSION IN THE GOOD SHEPHERD CONVENT

Seldom indeed has it been my privilege to witness such an impressive Ceremony as that which took place in the Good Shepherd Convent Chapel on the forenoon of Saturday, 4th inst., the event being the Religious Profession of the Novice, Sister Mary of St. Patricia, daughter of J. Marlow, Esq., Corbellis Co. Meath, Ireland and Sister Mary Bridget, daughter of H. Quinn, Esq., Blessington, Co. Wicklow, Ireland and the Reception of Miss Murtagh, daughter of M. Murtagh, Esq., Felltown, Co. Meath, Ireland.

The Convent Chapel looked sweetly pretty in its white lace hangings softly looped with roses and lilies. The friends of the Convent of different religious persuasions commenced to arrive at an early hour and every available place was filled by 8:45. At 9 o’clock, the Right Rev. Dr. Aelen, co-adjutoor Bishop of Madras, vested in Cope and Mitre, took his place in front of the Altar. Rev. Father Kleinschneider and Rev. Father Kuss were the assistant priests.

The Hymn “Ave Maris Stella” was commenced by the Convent Choir, at the same time the Religious, each holding a lighted candle, and preceded by the Sister Sacristan bearing the Processional Cross, entered the Chapel. The young lady to be received carried a bouquet of white roses and looked charming in her bridal dress of white embroidered silk as she was conducted to the alter by the Mother Superior and assistant, the Novices to be professed being placed in order. His Lordship then blessed and presented a lighted candle to each of the three Aspirants.

Questions were put and answered, The Novices in a clear voice made the three vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience and a fourth vow peculiar to the works of the Order. She was then given a black veil and a crucifix. As by her vows she was now dead to the world. The newly Professed prostrated under the pall which was held over her by the other religious, the choir meanwhile singing the “Liberamea”. The Psalm being concluded, the Officiate bade her arise, and come forth to live her new life in the Lord and rising she advanced once more to the Altar and knelt to receive His Lordship’s blessing after which she retired and was replaced by the second Novice, sister Mary Bridget, who also bound herself by the vows of religion to the service of the Good Shepherd. The “Te Deum” was then intoned by the celebrant and continued by the choir, during which the three religious looking a picture of happiness more than earthly, were conducted to the Mother Superior and assistant, and then to the other Sisters for the usual kiss of peace.

Then once more the nuns retired from the Chapel in Procession in the order in which they entered, and the long and solemn ceremonies were over, but the impressions made upon those who were so fortunate as to witness them, will not be easily effaced. One of the latter, a Protestant gentleman, well known as an educationist, has expressed his sentiments thus : “I am glad that I was present at yesterday’s service/ To say I enjoyed it would be a poor compliment, I was not able to keep a dry eye the whole time, my heart was full of gratitude to God that there were three more who had renounced the world to consecrate themselves to His service. I returned home more devoted to my Master”.