Sister Sheila Clancy
SISTER SHEILA CLANCY 1931—2011
Sister Sheila died late on Thursday evening, 8th September 2011.
For so many years Sister Sheila was at the very heart of our parish life. She has been, and will remain, very much in our thoughts and prayers.
Sister Sheila’s Funeral Mass took place in St Bride’s Church on Monday 19th September, in the presence of Bishop Joseph Devine – which offered all present a great experience of what it is to be within the Church of Jesus Christ. Before the Mass, Sister Sheila’s coffin was carried in by six men of the parish. The church was filled by parishioners and representatives of the various groups who had been touched by her ministry in the parish over the past twenty five years, whilst among the sixteen priests on the sanctuary were many formerly associated with St Bride’s and East Kilbride. Father Ness and Canon MacNamee acted as principal concelebrants from among the priests and Canon Ryan gave a moving homily reflecting on Luke’s Gospel (12:35-40) and sharing fond recollections of Sister Sheila’s service to the parish and its clergy. Holy Communion was distributed by Frs. Bogan, Briody and Brown. In the front rows of the church were representatives from St Kenneth’s and St Hilary’s Primary Schools, and St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High School. The Offertory Gifts were brought forward by Sister Hilda (from Sister Sheila’s order), by Geraldine Rodgers (Sister Sheila’s niece), and by representatives of the schoolchildren and Sister Sheila’s friends and colleagues from the Parish. The welcoming, reading and music ministries were also supplied by parishioners who had known Sister Sheila for many years, and all of the congregation were invited into the Parish Hall afterwards where tea and hospitality were supplied by more of Sister’s friends. Our grateful thanks are offered to the church cleaners and in particular to the two sisters who gave their time on Sunday afternoon and evening to clean the church for the Liturgy and also to Bernard O’Donnell for driving Geraldine Rodgers from and back to Edinburgh airport. Taken altogether, this is the parish community going the extra mile.
After Monsignor McIntyre and Fr. Devlin had made the Final Commendation, the coffin was taken from the church to begin the journey to the convent of the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace in Leicester, the mother house of Sister Sheila’s order, a journey undertaken with both great professionalism and reverence by John Donnelly of Heritage Funeral Services. Sister Sheila’s body was received into the chapel on Monday evening with this prayer of welcome:
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Loving God, we commend into your care this evening the soul of Sister Sheila who loved you in life and has now gone to her eternal reward.
The burial took place on Tuesday, September 22nd after a Thanksgiving Mass in the convent chapel. The hymn to St Joseph was sung at the graveside, fittingly for this lady who had been granted the grace of a peaceful death after a life of humble service.
Sister Sheila was born in Ballintogher, Co Sligo on 26 June 1931, and made her Final Profession with the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace in 1953. As a gifted cook she served at Mount Carmel Convalescent Home in Rothesay, at the Diocesan Seminary at Kilmahew and at St Hugh’s Nursing Home, Cleethorpes. She came to us in St Bride’s in 1986 and as well as looking after the Chapel House and assuming a variety of parish responsibilities, she continued to exercise her talent for catering, to the delight of priests and people alike! Sadly, she became ill during a visit to Ireland in 2010 and after several spells of hospitalisation and recuperation, Sister Sheila died peacefully in Stonehouse Hospital on September 8th, 2011. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.
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May she rest in peace.
The Parish offer to meet the funeral expenses was graciously refused by Sister Hilda. However we will make a donation to the Order consistent with the likely level of this expense to reflect our appreciation of the years of committed fruitful service which Sister Sheila has given to the community of St. Bride’s.
