By Julie Morgan

Published at 11:08, Thursday, 05 May 2011

remarkable person, unique in many ways: Sister Marie, right, with her sister, Joan Toner

A FORMER Whitehaven woman, who became a nun, has died aged 96.

Sister (Marie) Catherine Morgan was born on October 6, 1914, and attended St Begh’s School. She left the town aged 20 to join the Order of the Little Sisters of the Poor, who look after the elderly and the sick in their homes.

She travelled to France in 1934 where she was professed in the presence of her parents. Soon after, she sailed from Marseilles to Madras in India where she served for three years before being transferred to Australia, where in 1941 she took her final vows in Sydney.

Sister Marie worked in Melbourne and Perth before leaving the country in 1958. Her sister, Joan Toner, who was only a young girl when Sister Marie left Whitehaven, said: “She was in France for a month or so before coming to Carlisle for a week where the family were able to see her after such a long absence.

“On her travels again, she was appointed to Penang in Malaysia for three years followed by another four years in Calcutta.’’

In 1965, Sister Marie returned to France before working in Edinburgh and then to Dublin where she stayed for 18 years.

Joan said: “She then returned to Scotland and lived happily, actively and mentally alert at St Joseph’s Residence of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Glasgow until her death on April 14.’’

Requiem mass was held at St Joseph’s chapel with 10 priests concelebrating. Family members read the lessons, her great nephew Nicholas Toner read her favourite poem, Wordsworth’s Daffodils, and William Blake’s Jerusalem was sung as the entrance hymn.

Joan added: “My sister was a remarkable person, unique in many ways.

“She was very proud of Whitehaven and loved visiting us as the town had changed so much since she first left.”

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk