Newsletter
Intranet
Sr Marie Therese - Anna Christina O’Brien
of Brownstown, Kinsale, Co Cork, Ireland
died in St Joseph’s Home Killorglin, Co. Kerry on 12 December 2025
aged 98 years, 73 Years of Religious Profession.
The thread running throughout Sister Marie Therese’s life was that of a series of saying “Yes”. This was highlighted in the Homily at her Requiem Mass when the parish priest, Fr Kevin Sullivan, quoted from Sister herself, “It seemed like I was always saying yes”.
It was this yes, said in faith, which carried her through her long life.
Born into a family of eight children, in Kinsale, Anna Christina was brought up in the deep faith learned from her parents, Patrick and Annie O’Brien. It was this faith that enabled her to leave her happy homeland and travel to Newport in South Wales to enter with the Sisters of St Joseph of Annecy, where her sister, Sr Jerome, had entered a few years earlier. Anna Christina entered on 11th February 1948, just a short while after her 21st birthday. Sister made her first Vows in September 1949.
After her final profession in 1952, Sister spent some 25 years nursing in our hospital in Malpas and was part of the transformation of Malpas from a small nursing home into a hospital. Her apostolate of caring for those in need continued throughout her life, a mission carried out in her own gentle and kind way. She was Superior in several communities over the years. One sister recalls how generous and compassionate she was, especially to young sisters in community, “Sr Marie Therese believed in encouraging and supporting the young sisters saying, ‘You are our future’.” This kindness was also shown in her great sense of hospitality to visitors and she was very supportive of priests.
One of her many roles was that of caring for our elderly Sisters in the Abbey, a task she fulfilled with great care. During her time in Penarth, Sister also worked as a volunteer in Holme Tower, the local hospice, where she was highly regarded.
Her religious life was mostly spent in South Wales, although Sister spent six years in Killorglin before retiring to Llantarnam Abbey in 2009. Her retirement to the Abbey was by no means equated with inactivity. In 2010, she followed Sister Monica’s course on the Vows, with great enthusiasm and with the same spirit that she had shown in her more active years.
Family was very important to Sr Marie Therese. She loved her holidays at home in Ireland when she and Sr Jerome would delight in visiting their family, brothers and sisters as well as nieces and nephews. They certainly were very fond of both Sisters, glad to welcome them home. Sister Marie Therese always spoke of them with great pride.
Her final years were spent in St Joseph’s Home Killorglin where both she and Sr Jerome were lovingly cared for. Sister Marie Therese was frail in health and when Sister Jerome died in June 2025, Sister was not able to go to the funeral in Killorglin Parish Church. She died on 12th December 2025, two weeks before her 99th birthday. Without doubt Sister Jerome and all the family were waiting for her.
Sister’s funeral in St James Church Killorglin was a fitting tribute to her life of dedicated service. The presence of so many family members, staff from the Home and numerous parishioners was a testimony to a kind, generous and undemanding Sister, who throughout life said her “Yes” to God in so many different circumstances.
May she rest in peace.