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Sr. Mary Pius– Margaret Hogan
of Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Ireland
who died at St. Joseph’s Convent, New Inn
on 10th July 2023
aged 99 years, 70 of Religious Profession
Sr. Mary Pius was born in the Cathedral town of Thurles, Co.Tipperary Ireland on October 23rd 1923 to Margaret and Jeremiah Hogan. She was christened in The Cathedral of the Assumption and given the name of Margaret - known as Peg.
The Hogans were a large family with 4 girls - Mary, Nonie, Margaret and Kathleen and 4 boys - Jack, Tom, Denis and Dermot (who died when he was about 2 years old.) Mary was the eldest of the family and she entered religious life with the Ursulines and spent most of her life on the Missions and in France where she was interned during the Second World War. Nonie was the next of the girls. Peg (Sr. Mary Pius,) was the second youngest girl, with Kathleen being the youngest. They were a close-knit family not without their share of sorrow. The death of Dermot at such a young age impacted greatly on them all. Their mother too died when they were all quite young and it fell to Nonie to take charge of them all.
Sr. Mary Pius attended the Presentation Convent school which was next door to the Cathedral. She was a bright little girl who did well in school. She loved Irish and in later years could still recite poetry in Irish and regaled us with lots of Irish songs. Even up until recently she loved to sing, “It’s a long way to Tipperary.”Kathleen joined her sister in school and later when they got together would recall the ups and downs of their school life and the different characters of the Sisters who taught them.
Her brother Tom was in St. Patrick's College Seminary, right opposite the Cathedral where he was ordained a priest. From this vantage point he could keep a close watch over the family and intervened on their behalf if he felt there were any miscarriages of justice in school. Sr. Mary Pius outlived all her brothers and sisters and latterly would loudly acclaim, "I'm the last of the Hogans." Peg was interested in pursuing a career in Teaching so came to Wales to gain some experience. She taught for a year in St. Joseph's Convent School on Stow Hill. Miss Hogan was remembered by Sr. Marie de Montfort who was a 5 year old pupil at the time, as a, "fabulous and greatly loved teacher."
She entered the Religious Life as a Sister of St. Joseph of Annecy at Llantarnam Abbey, on 8th September 1950. On becoming a Novice she received the religious name of Sr. Mary Pius offering herself generously to the service of God and others. She made First Profession of Vows on 7th August 1952 after which she went to Digby Stuart Teacher Training College in London until 1954. On completion of her Training, she was asked to apply for a teaching post in Good Shepherd Primary School in Downham, Bromley, and being the successful candidate, in 1954 she went to live in our local community in Grove Park, London, where she remained until 1966. In 1966 she returned to Llantarnam Abbey to briefly take up a teaching post in Cwmbran R.C Primary School and when the new school, St. David's was opened in Pontnewydd, she joined the Junior department there. She was very aware of the plight of many struggling families and combined her Teaching with Parish visiting. She was known for her kindness and would quietly go to great lengths to procure food and clothing for those in need.
In 1977 she joined the Morden Community. She was appointed as the Sister in Charge whilst taking up a teaching post in St. Anselm's Primary School in Tooting Bec. Working for ILEA she was very mindful of the PC minefield of everyday life in a multicultural environment. She stayed in teaching up to the age of 65 battling daily with the journey through the rush hour on the tube, which was no mean feat, and teaching some very challenging pupils. There was a great bond between the St. Anselm's Staff and they often met together for social occasions to celebrate and enjoy a laugh. They looked up to Sr. Mary Pius and would say that she was a wonderful character.
Her years in Morden saw her once again taking up Parish work. Whilst still teaching, she took on the sacristy work in St. Teresa's Church. She also became involved in the Justice and Peace Group and was a Eucharistic Minister. In 1989 she had a second term of office as Sister in charge. The community in Morden was very central, with easy access to London via the Underground Trains and in close proximity to both Gatwick and Heathrow Airports. This enabled the community to offer hospitality to Sisters of our own and other branches of our Congregation coming from France to learn English and to join Language schools in Wimbledon and central London. Sr. Mary Pius was always on hand to help with a spot of sightseeing and tours around London. She was frequently called upon to go to the French or Indian Embassies in London to try to sort out somebody's visa or passport.
In 1995 she moved to Chatham Community where she devoted herself to pastoral work. It was whilst here that in 2002 she celebrated her Golden Jubilee, a memorable occasion and happy family time. After this she returned to Morden Community where she continued her parish work and once again took charge of the Church sacristy. She also ran the repository which, being situated in the main porch of the Church, was the first port of call from where Sr. Mary Pius offered an unofficial information and counselling service.
Each year she liked to make the Holy Week retreat at the Abbey. Finishing school on the Friday, she travelled straight down to Wales to begin her retreat that evening. She was nearly always tasked with the job as sacristan and there was no better person to deal with all the Holy Week rituals and rubrics. Many a novice was initiated into sacristy work by her. Her family was very close to her and she invested wholeheartedly in all her nephews and nieces taking great interest in their lives and that of their families. They enjoyed many family celebrations and reunions. Sr. Mary Pius and Kathleen loved to spend holidays with their brother, Fr.Tom in Solehead and Oola Parish in Ireland. Part of the holiday comprised of joining the Cashel and Emly Diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage and meeting up with the extended Kennedy family clan. Kathleen and Fr. Tom also often came to Morden Community and Sr. Mary Pius was an excellent guide for all the London trips.
She had great admiration for and devotion to the English martyrs. Every year, on the Sunday nearest to the Feast of the Martyrs, no matter how busy or tired she was, she joined the group gathered for the Tyburn silent walk for the martyrs, starting at the Old Bailey, along the way honouring the spot where the martyrs were hung drawn and quartered and ending at Marble Arch with Benediction outside the Tyburn Convent and a visit to the relics of the martyrs kept in the Convent Crypt. She also had a great devotion to Cardinal John Henry Newman and was so happy when he was Beatified in 2010 and canonized by Pope Francis in 2019. She loved the prayers of Newman and aptly made this one her own:
O Lord, support us all the day long of this troubled life, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over and our work is done. Then Lord, in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last.
Pi, (as she was affectionately called) was one of life's great characters. She had a great sense of humour and was a fun loving person. She was always known for her kindness towards everyone.
In 2010, her health was failing and she returned to Llantarnam Abbey where she could receive more care. She was fiercely independent and struggled with allowing others to help her. However, she was always saying how well she was cared for and how she really appreciated the kindness of the nurses and carers in St. Joseph's Wing. She always gave a gracious "Thank you," to those who visited her.
She was looking forward to her 100th Birthday which would be coming up in October but now she will be celebrating it in heaven. She was the first Sister to move into the care wing of our new Convent in New Inn and seemed to perk up, taking notice of her new surroundings, smiling and watching the traffic go by. She became weaker and her final days were made more comfortable by the care, attention and compassion she experienced in St. Joseph's Wing at Llantarnam Abbey and in our new Community in New Inn. After just 2 weeks in her new home, the Lord called her and after a long and fruitful life, she was ready. She very peacefully faded away and died on 10th July 2023. May she Rest In Peace. Amen