Sr. Maura Forkan

Congregational Register No. 599
D.O.B. 02.04.1926
First Profession 27.04.1964
Died: 08.10.2000 Aged: 74 years

Maura was born in Toureen, County Mayo, the eldest of a large family. As the eldest girl, she considered it her duty to have a motherly concern for all the family. It is recorded that before she entered, Maura managed a shop and a rural Post Office. Maura joined MMM in 1961 and all her MMM life was spent in Ireland with assignments in the Maternity Hospital, Drogheda, Clonmel or Waterford as catering supervisor where she made deep and lasting friendships with the staff and patients. In later years, Maura was Librarian in the Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda where again she made many friends. During her final illness the love and concern of her many friends surrounded her.

Maura was noted for her talent of creative writing. She joined a group in Drogheda and had the pleasure of publishing a book of reflective poems from which many people received inspiration and support. She was also a regular contributor to internal MMM publications such as "Circuit".

Throughout her life, Maura often bore the darkness and pain of depressive illness. A year before she died, and on hearing the diagnosis of her terminal disease of cancer, Maura was granted the great gift of serenity and peace. She was in fact overjoyed that she would soon be joining the loving God to whom she had dedicated her life. She fully expected that her time of waiting would be short and began her immediate preparation. One of Maura's greatest gifts to MMM was her example of acceptance and appreciation of people's love and support during her final illness. Maura died in Aras Mhuire Nursing Facility and was buried in Drogheda.

The sun declines, the day wanes,
Away from the epicentre our sending now,
Gifted with new talents -
Limitation, pain, silent endurance,
Dependence, prayerful acceptance,

Letting go.
Talents just as fruitful
As activity's best.

For Mission never ends
We are for others always,
'Til the golden skein of love
Is wound to the end and we reach

LOVE ITSELF.

Maura Forkan, June 2000.