OBITUARY

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3, 30 January 1908, Page 15

OBITUARY

SISTER MARY IGNATIUS, HOKITIKA.-

(From our own correspondent.) The "tolling of the church bell at the unusual hour' of 1* p.m. on Friday, I'iifa inst., announced that some-, thing out of the ordinary had. occurred, and soon the,, sxd news spread far and widest hat" "Sister Mary Ignatius (Ryan) had breathed her last. Sister Mary j Ignatius was a native of K il -nihill; -County Clare, Ire-, lnnd, and became a member of the community at Hoki-" tika twenty-five years ago. L'ntil quite 1 recently the deceased was the Superioress of St. Columbkille's Con- " vent, but owing to failing health she was obliged to resign the position. Always a zealous, patient, -ani painstaking) worker, Sister Ignatius wore out her healih and strength' in mti'n/isteri,ng to the wants of others. • Loved by all her. pupils and; those whose business" hid brought them in contact with the good v Sister, t was only natural that expressions of grief md sorrow were manifest on the announcement of her death at the corraparatb ely. early age of 42 years. Rev. Father Gilbert, of AVellington, who lv>d been one $,i Sist.T . Mary .Ignatius' early pupils, celebrated a Requiem Mass at nine o'clock on Monday morning, and at 2.30 p.m. the remains were followed to their last resting rlace by a very large concourse of people. Before leaving - the church Rev. Father McDermott, C.SS.R., who had - recently conducted, a ' retreat for the Sisters of <, St. Columbkille's Convent, preached an eloquent panegyric on the life of the good Sister. The coffin was car-~ ried from the church to the grave on the shoulders of the men of the parish ard the neighboring parishes of Ross and Kumara. All the confraternities of the parish marched in full regalia, a,nd were- followed by the school children and general r»blic. Rev. Father Gilbert, assisted by Rev. Father McDern ott, officiated" at the 1 graveside. Before the' coffin- was lowered to its last resting place Father Gilbert in compliance with an expressed wish of the dear 'denarted sprinHed^ on the coffin a little earth from her, far away native soilr which she had carried with her always for this purpose.—R.l.P. • ■ . -