One of Ireland's newest congregation of nuns will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its arrival in Ireland with a series of events next month. The Irish arm of the Disciples of the Divine Master was started in Ballykeeran near Athlone in County Westmeath nearly half a century ago and the Athlone congregation is one of two it maintains here today, with the other based in Dublin.
The golden jubilee anniversary will be commemorated with the celebration of Mass in the Church of Saints Pater and Paul on Sunday September 9, when The Bishop of Elphin, Bishop Christopher Jones, will be the main celebrant.
Some public talks will also be organised on topics such as spirituality, the ministry and life of the Sisters and Eucharistic adoration.
The Order of the Disciples of the Divine Master was founded in Italy in 1920 and although it only came to Athlone in 1962 the membership of the order by one of the sisters currently living in Athlone goes back as far as 1950.
Sr Muriel Fetherston said that she is really looking forward to the celebrations. Sr Muriel joined the Order in Rome in 1950 after leaving her post with the ESB in Athlone.
“I was working in the ESB and my supervisor said to me one day, have you ever thought of religious life? I said maybe I did give it a thought. He introduced me to a priest, Fr Simone, who had been sent to Ireland to establish the order here. I felt the Lord was calling me there so I left, went to Rome in 1950 and joined the Order, “said Sr Muriel, who was 24 at the time.
In 1962 two sisters started the work of the Irish Order in Ballykeeran and in 1965 the Order set up a convent in Ballykeeran.
Speaking about their typical day Ballina native Sr Brid Geraghty said, “We pray nearly four hours of community prayer each day but we're still very active and we're with the people. We have our Liturgical Centre which we call a centre not a shop, because people come in and ask for prayers. They mightn't buy anything. They come in and ask us to pray for them. Adoration of the Eucharist takes place around the clock at the order's chapel, and over 200 local people have designated weekly or daily periods when they come in to worship at the chapel for an hour or longer.”
The Order of the Disciplines of the Divine Master, which also has a convent in Dublin, currently has 1,400 Sisters working in 31 countries worldwide.