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Sr. Madeleine Sophie– Bernadette McDonnell
of Ilford, Essex, England
who died at St. Joseph’s Convent, New Inn
on 4th November 2023
aged 96 years, 77 of Religious Profession
Madeleine...Bernadette McDonnell...... was born in Ilford, Essex on the 23rd Feb. 1927. Her parents, Thomas and Mary, had six children of whom two boys and two girls survived into childhood. Madeleine was very close to her sister Maureen and to her two brothers, Michael and Kevin. She also dearly loved her nieces and nephews, keeping contact with them and enjoying their visits over the years.
During the war Madeleine was evacuated to Ross on Wye and became a boarder at St Joseph's school. This would have been where she first met the Sisters. She entered with the Sisters in 1944, making her first profession in 1946 and her final profession in 1949. She then went to Cardiff University and studied for her BA. Her first assignment was to St Joseph’s School in Chatham. She is remembered to this day by both pupils and staff as a kind, gentle thoughtful and considerate person. She was not only their teacher but often their confidante, counsellor, and friend. She always wanted to help others in any possible way, and pupils’ families especially appreciated her care and interest and up to recent times she kept contact with some of them.
In 1969 she was appointed Head of Holy Family School in Newport. This Secondary Modern School was just moving into the Comprehensive System, so it was a very different type of school, but Madeleine gave it her all. A Sister who worked with her said “her gentle, loving presence helped teachers and pupils alike in this time of transition”.
In 1976 she was appointed Provincial Superior, and this was not an easy task for her. She had a great love for the Sisters, for the Province and the Congregation and this sustained her during any difficult situations. She had an unmistakeable love of our SSJ charism, a profound knowledge and love for the Constitutions, our Rule of Life, which she lived so faithfully. She regularly reflected on these, saying “They remind me of my vowed commitment.”
She was Superior and homemaker both in Cardiff and in Malmesbury. She also filled in as Novice Mistress for one year in 1988. In 1990 she went to Mottingham and while there she followed an Ignatian Spirituality Course. She was also parish Sister and did wonderful work in RCIA. Some of her converts still speak of her kindness to them and her example.
In 1998 we opened an international community in Annecy, with Sisters from France, India and UK. The vision was to experience living with other cultures, whilst deepening knowledge of our charism. Madeleine was asked to lead that project and she was the ideal person. The Sisters loved her and even today they speak lovingly of their experience with her and all they learnt, especially from her example.
However, there were times when Madeleine’s kindness could be challenging. When she was leaving Annecy, she had a lot of extra luggage. At the airport we directed her to the check-in where we knew the lady ... the man at the other check-in was known to count every gram over and above and charged heavily. She was just at the top of the queue when she switched. We ended up paying heavily for that!!!! All Madeleine could say was “I felt so sorry for the poor man as nobody was checking in with him. That was Madeleine!!!
In 1998, Madeleine was in Morden Community where she was greatly loved and appreciated by the Sisters, as a homemaker and at times as cook. Her great flair for instructing others in the faith was welcomed in the parish. Her gentle approach and the interest she took in the families was greatly appreciated.
Madeleine was a very humble person. I had great admiration for her from my early years in Religious Life. Soon after I entered, I was sent with her to visit poor families from her school. I had just come from Dublin where I had worked with Vincent de Paul visiting poor families in inner city Dublin, who knew how to milk the system. As Madeleine sat there listening to this family tell their tall stories, she was in all her kindness believing every word. On the way back to the bus she asked me what I thought. I was only a postulant and a bit reluctant to say what I thought. Madeleine’s response to my observations was “Oh dear me”. And she said no more. Some weeks later she came to me and said, “You were right, I made enquiries about that family”. I was so impressed by her humility as I was just a postulant. I saw many more examples of this humility throughout her life.
A Sister from Malpas writes.... Sr Madeleine was a quiet person with a great sense of fun, interested in all the happenings of the community and the hospital, but her special interest was in St David’s wing where our Sisters who needed care were. Madeleine and Sister Jerome were there as the “pastoral care” team, a work they carried out with great love and care and dedication. Our Sisters experienced that love and care especially at the end of life.
In community Madeleine loved to be part of whatever was going on. Feast days, Christmas, barbecues, sale of work......Madeleine loved to be part of it all. Having spent most of her life in teaching and having responsibilities in the Province, it was amazing how she became so much part of a totally different world. The staff in the hospital and hospice were very fond of her and loved to share their worries with her. Sisters recall that on the dot each afternoon Madeleine would arrive in the kitchen and announce “Anyone for tea” Madeleine loved company, and telling stories of bygone days - and that was fine if you weren't in a hurry!!!! At this stage of her life she continued her apostolate of the pen and the phone, reaching out to so many people.
The move to New Inn from must have been hard for Madeleine but she accepted it calmly. Her last weeks were peaceful, and she welcomed visitors with her warm smile and a grateful word. She died as she lived peacefully and calmly and was able to join in praying the Hail Mary near to the end. In the days since Madeleine’s death we have had many conversations and sharing and we all say her life could be summed up in one sentence...she was always gentle, loving and kind, considerate and caring, concerned for everybody.
Madeleine may you now rest in peace in the Communion of Saints.