Sister Mary Scanlon on 70 years of service with Little Company of Mary

Dec 17, 2018

Sister Mary was born in 1929 and knew she wanted to be a nurse early in her life.  In January 1949 she joined Little Company of Mary which is coming up to 70 years of service.  In this interview we talk about her early life and memories of the first radio her family purchased, the Great Depression, the start of World War II and at age 16 her first experience of being with someone who died while she was working as a nurse caring for them.  We then talk about what she has learned through a life of service and in particular about light and love.  This is a most unusual interview and one I think is particularly powerful so I hope you enjoy it.

Little Company of Mary Christchurch site: https://lcmchristchurch.org.nz/

Little Company of Mary Australasia site: http://www.lcm.org.au

A reflection by Sister Mary: http://www.lcm.org.au/living-the-lcm-spirit/fx-stories.cfm?loadref=19&id=35

I wrote this poem for Mary based on our conversation.  For more visit www.theseeds.nz

A Life of Service

You describe being 16 and holding the hand
of an old man breathing his last.
Your memory of that moment still,
crystal clear though long in the past.

Inexorably drawn to this life,
of service – for deep calls to deep.
Your name an echo of others – one enough
Examples of the promises you keep.

Memories created over these years
helping many move past fear of death into light
Love at all times, the cascading call,
may we never let that slip from our sight.