RIP Sr. Elizabeth Hayes
OLA Sister fondly remembered in Ireland and Nigeria.
Sr. Elizabeth with her grandnephew during her 75th anniversary of religious profession in September 2014.
Sr. Elizabeth Hayes was called home to God on June 4th with her funeral taking place yesterday (June 6th). Sr. Elizabeth, born in Co. Limerick in 1920, dedicated over 77 years of her life in the faithful service of others.
In her memoirs she writes about the day she was cycling home from mass in Ballyneale and felt a sudden, unusual pressure on her mind. Sr. Elizabeth could not understand it so she got off her bike, stood for a few minutes to clear her head, and then, as she wrote: “I said, and I remember it so well to this day, and even the spot where I stood in the road, ‘Oh Lord, to prove that I do love you I will become a nun’. I didn’t know where or when or how, and it didn’t seem to bother me, but a great weight seemed to be lifted of my mind and I felt as free as the air. That was 22nd November 1936. Even today I can still feel the same lightness of heart when I recall the episode.”
Sr. Elizabeth went on to spend over fifty years on mission between Kaduna, Minna, Ibadan, Lagos and Abeokuta in Nigeria, leaving a firm imprint in the lives of many. In a letter from the OLA Province of Nigeria, many Sisters shared some cherished memories of Sr. Elizabeth.
Ecumenism and fairness were important to Sr. Elizabeth during her life. She often told the story of her neighbour, a Protestant man, who brought her to Ardfoyle Convent by pony and trap in March 1937, something which she was very proud of. Of her time in Nigeria, it is often remarked that Sr. Elizabeth granted admission to the schools to children from very disadvantaged backgrounds who as a result became professional lawyers, doctors and highly placed persons in society.
We give thanks for the gift of Sr. Elizabeth. May she rest for ever in the eternal and perfect Communion of God’s love.
