Terence Lawrence (Mary)

Deceased Sisters

Terence Lawrence (Mary) - Ireland
03/07/1929 - 02/02/2018

Homily for Funeral of Sr Terence Lawrence

Monday 5 February 2018- Fr Frank Garvey PP

On Friday last we celebrated the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, marking that special day in the life of the child Jesus when he was presented in the temple in accordance with Jewish custom. In the temple were the two elderly and devout people, Simeon and Anna in prayer and attentiveness to God over many years, to them was given the great privilege of naming the deeper significance of what was taking place, namely, Jesus was being presented as the light of the world. They had lived to see this special day. No wonder poor old Simeon was now ready to die a happy man, giving expression to his happiness in that lovely prayer, known as the Nunc Dimitis:

“Now. Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised;
Because my eyes have seen the salvation,
Which you have prepared for all the nations,
A light to enlighten the pagans
And the glory of your people Israel”

That is the prayer from the Divine Office for Night Prayer, which Terence would have prayed thousands of times. How entirely appropriate that the Lord chose to call her home on this special Feast day.

Friday last was also designated as World Day for Consecrated Life. Today we are honouring a woman who so generously consecrated her life as a Marist Sister for 62 years. Hers was a life of devoted and humble service, especially to her Marist Family here in Carrick-on-Shannon where she lived and worked for almost 52 years. If I were to script a short and suitable epitaph for her life, I could do no better than in our second reading:

“She worked for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit. She was a woman of hope who was always cheerful.”

She was also a woman whose life was shaped by her prayer life and her great devotion to Mary. Pope Francis in writing for the day for Consecrated Life reminded religious and indeed all of us of the vital witness prayer is. He said and I quote:

“It is a witnessing to the mystery of God’s presence among us. It is a witnessing to the fact that God cares, that God reaches out to us, even if his ways are hidden and mysterious. Religious life cannot be privatised; your prayer is a service for the whole Church and cannot be enclosed within the four walls of your house”.

Sr. Terence, in her wonderful commitment to the Marist Laity group over many years, helped so many lay people here in Carrick-on-Shannon to nourish and enrich their own personal prayer lives. She taught by example the many blessings to be obtained from her devotion to Mary.

Mary Lawrence was born and reared in a place called Loughill, Cloonacool, Co. Sligo. She was the youngest of eight children born to Michael and Julia Lawrence, having five sisters and two brothers. She is the last surviving member of her family. Her parents played a very formative and significant role in how Mary’s life would unfold in her later years. Her father, Michael, was a small farmer who also had a natural aptitude for making all sorts of things from wood, of which there was a plentiful supply all around them. He was also a devoted gardener. So the seeds of Sr Terence’s own giftedness were sown at a young age. It was no great surprise when, James, being the eldest of the family, became a carpenter. His youngest sister loved to spend many happy hours in his company, learning how to use a whole variety of tools, gaining valuable knowledge about how to apply herself to practical tasks. Her mother Julia was a carer in her local community, helping to deliver babies and looking after her neighbours in times of sickness. In this way, Sr. Terence’s caring and compassionate disposition was richly nurtured.

As a young woman Mary Lawrence had not only imbibed a wholesome outlook on life, but at a relatively young age she inherited gifts and skills that enabled her to make a telling contribution over many years as a Marist Sister. When she entered the Marist community around 1955, at the age of 26 she probably would have been regarded as a ‘late vocation’. As a young nun she trained for cookery. Being the pragmatic, down to earth person she was, she also did a woodwork course, her skills in same having already been finely honed in her own homestead. Her wonderful gift for House Craft stood her and her community in good stead over many years. There was no need to send for carpenters, plumbers, electricians or locksmiths as long as Sr Terence was around. Having acquired most of the tools of the various trades there was no challenge in any area of DIY that she was ever afraid to take on. I believe she also had a great eye for a bargain and am reliably informed that she purchased a ‘second-hand’ plane for preparing wood for the princely sum of 5 shillings. Today, that same item would cost over a hundred euros!

Being the community cook in the old convent over many years she had acquired the lovely designation as the ‘nun on the bicycle’. Her bicycle with the basket on the front took her all over town as she went to do her daily shopping. She was renowned for her great hospitality and no one who called to the convent could leave without being treated to a cup of tea and other ‘goodies’. That concern for hospitality remained undimmed to the end. When Fr. Seamus paid a visit to her in hospital on Friday last, her only concern was “Did he get a cup of tea?” her caring and compassionate manner extended beyond the convent walls and it is only the Lord himself and those she helped in various ways who will know the full extent of her outreach to those in need. Being the humble, unassuming person she was, she was content to stay in the background, always ensuring that practical matters were being taken care of.

Her passion for gardening is legendary and the beautiful array of flowers adorning both the outer and inner convent are testimony to her many hours of hard work – for her, gardening was always and ever a labour of love. She had her own special awareness that Nature’s beauty gives glory to God.

On a personal note, I feel privileged to have known Sr Terence over the past 10 years. Her deep appreciation of the Eucharist and the many times she thanked us priests for celebrating with the Marist community speak volumes about the lovely person she was. Her radiant smile and expressive eyes revealed a warmth of heart and a tenderness of soul that touched all who came to know her. This brief overview of her life gives us a glimpse into the many qualities with which she was richly blessed.

“Come, you who are blessed by my father; take for your inheritance the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world”

Let us be assured that those words of our gospel have now been addresses by the Lord himself to our beloved Sr Terence.
Ar dheis Dégo raibh a hanam uasal dílis.

Deceased Sisters

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