Mercy Sister Angela Mary Doyle, the unofficial matriarch of Mater’s Queensland hospitals, celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday. Source: The Courier-Mail.
“You’d never stay, you like dancing too much,” laughed Margaret Doyle when her 15-year-old daughter told her she wanted to become a nun.
She asked her to think on it for a while. But after a year her daughter said she was serious, leaving their small Irish farm, moving to a convent in Cork in the country’s south where she trained as a teacher, then crossing the rocking ocean for five seasick-inducing weeks to Sydney.
From there, she travelled by train to Brisbane, arriving in June 1947, her rosary beads somehow mashed into a banana in her pocket, her new life about to unfold.
Born Kathleen Doyle, she was now Sister Angela Mary, about to begin work as a teacher to 42 grade two students at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Kangaroo Point.
At the time, the idea that the 21-year-old would go on to administer three Mater hospitals, be a voice for the marginalised and go against the premier of the day to assist HIV and AIDS patients and become a Queenslander of the Year and inaugural Queensland Great among many other accolades, seems as unlikely as her transplantation from one side of the globe to the other.
Sr Angela Mary was yesterday honoured on her birthday with a lunch at Government House and on August 23, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is hosting a City Hall reception for her, with 600 guests, morning tea and a band of Irish bagpipers.
Mater Foundation has launched a $10 million appeal in honour of Sister Angela Mary’s 100th birthday to support the launch the Mater Little Miracles Research Centre. Details: Sisterangelamary100.org.au.
FULL STORY
Sharp mind, compassion and daily walks: Sister Angela Mary on the secret to living to 100 (By Alison Walsh, The Courier-Mail)
RELATED COVERAGE
Queensland great Sr Angela Mary Doyle turns 100 today (The Catholic Leader)
