Having served the people of Waterford City and county for close on
120 years, the now small community of the Saint John of God Sisters in
Waterford City is dispersing for practical and medical reasons and in
the best interests of the nuns themselves.
In a statement released on behalf of the Order at the weekend, it was
stated that five of the sisters living at the Cloisters, Saint John's
Hill in Waterford City are moving on.
A spokesperson for the Order said, “Like most religious congregations
in Ireland, we are an ageing community and our numbers are decreasing.
We are fortunate to have two communities, one in Wexford and one in
Kilkenny, where we are able to provide a level of care, whether it be
medical or otherwise which is appropriate to the individual sisters'
needs.”
This week's announcement is the second big announcement that the Order has made in as many years.
In December 2008, the Order held a special mass at the 58-bed Holy
Ghost nursing home in Waterford to celebrate the retirement of the last
three Saint John of God Sisters working there, namely, Sister Mary
Byrne, Sister Assumpta Burke and Sr Agnes Delahunty.
At the time, the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Dr William Lee
praised the Order of Saint John of God for the immense contribution the
Order has made to the City of Waterford.
SIC: CIN/IE