Tribute to APT member, Catherine Dunne, RSCJ, (RIP).

At the beginning of April 2020, Sr Catherine Dunne, Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary and long-term member of RENATE and leading member of APT Ireland, died in Dublin. Her death came as a shock; Catherine was ill for a very short time. Government regulations forbade funeral gatherings and so we were not allowed to attend Catherine’s funeral, which took place quietly at her congregation’s convent in Waterford in the south of the country. On the 19^th of July, Fr Dónal Dorr SPS, colleague, friend and APT member, celebrated the Eucharist and APT members, together with Catherine’s family, Sacred Heart of Mary Sisters and friends joined on ZOOM.

We shared memories of Catherine – how she had impacted our lives and the gift she had been to us. The Gospel of the Mass invited the listeners to learn from Jesus, who is meek and humble of heart and to take upon their shoulders the yoke which is sweet and the burden which is light. Anyone who knew Catherine would recognise her willingness to take on the Lord’s yoke as she was asked to perform different duties in her congregation. As a young Sister, in the 1970s, Catherine undertook the training of the newly-founded Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit in the Diocese of Monze, Zambia, a task which she fulfilled with great love and diligence. Back in Ireland, Catherine took on responsibility for her congregation’s Secondary School at Ferrybank, Co Waterford. Past pupils spoke of their happy schooldays under the care of Sr Catherine.

When APT was founded in 2005, Catherine was invited to join and, until her death, was tireless in her efforts to combat trafficking. Her work with a network of schools in Waterford is a model of awareness-raising on which we are now building. Catherine smiled a lot and never appeared burdened despite the great work she did. My abiding memory of Catherine is of her laughing heartily, tears her beautiful dark eyes.

Rest in peace, Catherine. We keep you in our hearts.

Sr Eilís Coe RSC.