Sr. M. Brendan O'Hanlon

Nationality: Irish
Congregational Register No. 84
D.O.B. 08.07.1913
First Profession 02.07.1945
Died: 19.06.2001 Aged: 87 years

Anne O'Hanlon was born in Dublin of a large family. She had five brothers and five sisters. After school she worked in an office for 12 years before entering MMM in 1942, aged 29.

Sr. Magdalen O'Rourke remembered Anne's first visit to Drogheda. "Sr. Brendan passed her first endurance test in MMM on the day she came to meet Mother Mary for interview. She had cycled the 30 miles from Dublin to Drogheda to meet Mother Mary and discuss her vocation. Mother then invited her to join the novices on a picnic to Monasterboice, a walk of six miles, after which the journey back to Dublin by bicycle had to be made! This shows the stamina of this early missionary!"

After initial formation, Sr. M. Brendan was assigned to Nigeria and Ogoja. She was very happy in the leprosy work there, but the needs of the young Congregation were such that she was requested to return to Ireland for promotion work. This was her apostolate, both in Ireland and England, between 1950 and 1956. She was then assigned to the Apostolic Delegation in London for secretarial work. In the 1960s, Sr. M. Brendan returned to Ireland and had several office jobs, both in Drogheda and Bettystown. In 1966 she became Postulant Directress in Clonmel, County Tipperary.

In 1974, Sr. Brendan was assigned to the USA, again in office work and mission awareness. Returning to Ireland in 1978, she went to work in the parish of Artane, Dublin, undertaking pastoral visitation and being available to many groups and individuals. She was noted for her giving nature and found it hard to cut down on her heavy workload. In 1984, already aged 71, she volunteered for work in the USA again. The sisters there were very happy to receive Sr. Brendan, but owing to visa restrictions, she had to return after six months. After that she went to England for some time and cared for her sister, Kathleen, until Kathleen's death in 1987.

Between 1987 and 1990, Sr. Brendan was assigned to the Clonsilla community in Dublin and then between 1990-1995 to Kilmacow community in Waterford. She retired to the Motherhouse community in Drogheda in 1995 and was transferred to Aras Mhuire in 2001.

Sr. Brendan was noted for her gentle personality, her refinement and her quiet but keen sense of humour.

She died in Aras Mhuire, Drogheda on 19th June 2001 and is buried in Drogheda.