Fanchea Kearns

Deceased Sisters

Fanchea Kearns - Ireland
26/09/1927 - 10/06/2018

Can anything good come from Rusheens? Our late Sr. Fanchea, in health and even in illness was always alert to events and happenings related to the place of her birth. On hearing the single word ‘Rusheens’, the smile lit up her face, the spirit was awakened and she got the gift of speech. Don’t we all cherish our native shore!

Sr. Fanchea (Mary Josephine Kearns) was born into a rural community on 26^th September 1927. In Rusheens, her parents managed the farm. Fanchea was one of six children, three boys and three girls. She attended the local National School and afterwards completed her Secondary Education at our own School in Carrick-on-Shannon. She entered the Novitiate late in September 1946 and was professed in 1948. Sr. Fanchea graduated from University College, Dublin with a B.A. degree and Teachers’ Diploma, leaving her ready to embark on her teaching ministry to pupils in our Secondary Schools.

In the 1940’s, there was no such thing as free second level education. Sr. Fanchea’s parents, like many of our parents of the day, valued a good education for the future welfare of their children. Interested teachers often forfeited their Saturday break from school to give extra tuition to promising pupils, enabling them to compete for scholarships to second level boarding schools. Sr. Fanchea was a promising pupil! She often regaled how two boys, classmate companions, also availed of these tuition classes. While Sr. Fanchea became a Marist Sister, her two companions became two Marist Brothers – Brother Declan Duffy and Brother Bonaventure Frain. Wasn’t that a Marist Family! Both of these Brothers were well known and highly regarded in the educational field. Brother Bonaventure is still alive.

Sr. Fanchea excelled herself as a teacher of French, Irish, Maths and Geography. For those of us who lived side by side in community with Sr. Fanchea, we have great memories of her as a teacher. Her classwork was always meticulously prepared. She was just, fair, compassionate and impartial in her dealings with pupils. With regard to keeping abreast of changes or updating of subjects, Sr. Fanchea would have been one of the ‘early bird’ pioneers to introduce technology to the classroom.

We all remember the old type cumbersome tape recorder, which at that time in history was considered modern, being cadged from classroom to classroom across the schoolyard. Didn’t pupils vie with each other to help carry this machine – reduced long ago to the rubbish tip or school museum! Those were the days, my friends!

Sister Fanchea retired from Teaching in 1993. She undertook visiting the local Nursing Home and doing some Pastoral work here in Tubbercurry Parish. She believed in the ‘walking Ministry’ affording her the chance to say ‘Hello’ to friends and neighbours.

Early in 2016 Sr. Fanchea spent a few short spells in Hospital. An early diagnosis showed a progression in Alzheimers Disease. Sr. Fanchea was admitted to St. Attracta’s Nursing Home in Charlestown for her safety and welfare. Settling down there caused no headaches either to her Community or to herself as the owner of the Nursing Home happened to be a past-pupil of her own while teaching in our Secondary School in Charlestown. Sr. Fanchea was convinced she was in her own Community. In fact, she settled down so well, that visiting her when she was engrossed playing Bingo or doing gymnastics was an intrusion on her privacy!! As in life, she preferred to get on with the work and task in hand.

After a 2-year stay, suddenly and unexpectedly on a Sunday morning, 10^th June 2018 the evening of life had come and Sr. Fanchea went home to the God she served so diligently.

Fanchea, you are our new Marist Intercessor in Heaven

Deceased Sisters

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