--- Page 1 ---
and peace that can satisfy the heart of man .
of faith , and zeal , and charity , He has given to their mother .
and to bring it to the joy of this day ; that we pray also that
will carry more . Like Mary , they will carry Jesus Christ ; they
conception : for giving her grace to triumph over all difficulties
work that seems destined to do so much for God's glory . I
of us here thank God with her for giving her to think this noble
God will give to all the Medical Missionaries of Mary the spirit
have said nothing of her whom God has chosen to be the " chief
and I shall respect her wish . But I think I may say that all
agent in it . I know she would not wish this public mention ,
will carry His grace ; they will carry the only message of hope
I have mentioned some of those who have helped in this
printed by J. H. Skey & Son , 16 Bruton Place , New Bond Street ,
visitation .
www
3 .

--- Page 2 ---
the shadow of death .
because they love them , they will love them because
Let me end on the gracious picture with which I began .
lives will be bound round by the rows of poverty , chastity and
their Annunciation ; they will have St. Paul's ideal " I live ,
doctor and nurse , carry assignment , healing , comfort . They
them . They will spend their professional skill and care on sick .
that do not shackle " but set free . They will tend sick pagans
him to the world . The Medical Missionaries of Marv will have
will give more , because it will be more than a professional
will fashion them to an intense interior life . And then will
children to suffering , mothering women ; they will , as trained
Fundati et radicali in caritate-founded and rooted in charity .
jungle , the lonely hut , the hospital ward will be for them the
Its external activity is but the manifestation of an intense
The Visitation came after the Annunciation ; when our Lady had
skilled , professional , unwearied service , it will give but it
ome their Visitation . They will go forth in haste to the hill
fever-wracked , diseased bodies , but they will have a tenderer
" Rooted in charity . '
obedience , those holy bands that do not depress but elevate-
country ; they will go into the ways of the mission fields : the
interior life ; not doctors and nurses merely but nuns . Their
conceived Christ within her , then she went abroad to " carry
care , a deeper solicitude for the soul that is in darkness and
city of Juda ; to those wracked with fever , to lepers , to sick
now not I , but Christ lives in me . " Their spiritual training
body . It will be a religious order . Its motto is St. Paul's
od has already loved them and given His Son for
re a deeper solicitude for the soul that is in darkness and
discovery at the service of religion and charity .
freest scope for that work . In accordance with the instruction
I have called the Medical Missionaries of Mary the latest
and bold . It is the response to the appeal of the Holy Father
wherever the Church will call it in medical work . It will be
for a new effort to meet new needs . It is a true religious
Congregation , whose members will have public vows , and the
rules , way of life , will be framed so as to give the fullest and
and training - it will put the newest inventions of science and
anifestation of that spirit ; it is certainly not the least original
work will be to help the missions - not merely in Africa , but
rights , responsibilities and privileges of religious . Its distinctive
d to that work in a very special manner ; constitutions ,
old See it will procure the most modern equipment

--- Page 3 ---
impossible among them continued bad health . But perhaps
small seed which with God's grace will grow and develop and
from the delay came fuller conviction and a clearer " grasp .
And after eight or nine years came the first faint steps towards
that this quiet ceremony is the putting into the ground of a
put a dream . Many things happened which seemed to make it
congregation . The idea persisted for years , though it seemed
there came a sitting and winnowing until there was left finally
years of experience as nurse and teacher among the pagans left
ago to one who worked in Nigeria under Dr. Shanahan ; some
already vaguely thought and hoped for a kind of missionary
musual . The foundation of a new religious congregation is in
riefly sketched here . The idea came eighteen or twenty years
significance of that event is fully understood ; that all recognise
wo convictions one , the necessity of a professional medical ser-
become a great tree and send its branches far and wide and
tion of the Congregation has had its history , which may be
work which they had not yet seen realised . In that first group
itself not often seen ; but there is another consideration that
vill provide shelter and life and rest for great multitudes .
a new departure in the history of the missions a new
as a rule , expected only from those who were freed from family
by its nature and spirit and organisation and constitutions
ies and had special spiritual helps - that is from a religious
realising the dream ; and five or six others were found who had
With this day's event the history of the Medical Mission-
world to the new call of the Holy Father , which marks
aries of Mary may be said to begin officially : but the founda-
which you take a part-is something very simple , but very
adaptation of the Church to the new needs of the missionary
had the spirit of sacrifice , the devotion , the constancy could be ,
It is the first response of Ireland . if not of the Catholic
makes this ceremony still more notable-
The presence of this distinguished congregation shows that the
apostolate .
The ceremony which you have come to witness and in
Notable ceremony .
vice , the second , that such work needed a special organisatic
I , that such work needed a special organisation -
and the supernatural , and " you will understand the propriety
with which the mystery of the Visitation has been chosen as
joy ; see Our Lady's charity on the double plane - the natural
the inspiration of the Medical Missionaries of Mary .

--- Page 4 ---
and means , of permission ; but perhaps the chief difficulty ,
which lay across the path like a great barrier , was the fact
religious life , under the most modern conditions , should go back
by assistance at the liturgical life of the Monastery . The
Benedict ; and it is a significant fact that this latest venture in
and spiritual life were given to the aspirants by instruction and
that the Church did not in general approve of unrestricted
Medical Missionaries of Mary would wish this public record on
institute was fed on disappointment and trials ; it was stamped
a kind of novincestip , in which the principles of the religious
with the cross that trust guarantee of vitality and future
The two years spent at Glenstal were decisive ; they constituted
to drink at the spring from which came the beginning of
Abbey of Glenstal given to the foundress to live close to the
this occasion , of their incalculable debt to the sons of St.
success . ' There were practical difficulties of all kinds of ways
be regarded as marking a decisive point in the history of
was also growing . Like all the things of God-the growing
monastery and share as far as could be in its spiritual life .
congregation , was the invitation of the Prior of the Benedictine
ganda issued an instruction of immense import , which will
institute could scarcely exist ; there were many who said that
great decisions of the present Holy Father .
movements in the Church spring from deep and far-reaching
foundress and her companions - a full sense of the difficulties
tion went on in hope and prayer and suddenly the great barrier
While the idea was growing in clearness in the mind of the
not suitable for religious . With such a restriction the new
the restriction would never be removed . The work of prepara-
the missions and which will be considered as one of the
really began the process towards the formation of a religious
monastic life in Europe eleven hundred years ago . All new
medical work for nuns . Certain fields of medical work -
In February , 1936 , the Sacred Congregation of Prova-
The decisive event of that first period the event which
" Deep and far-reaching roots . "
which had seemed to block all advance was lifted .
roots .
cially maternity work-had traditionally been considered as
qualified them to be pioneers in a new spiritual enterprise .
uncertain .
only desire and zeal were certain , and all means and ways
a few who had that spirit of courage and confidence that
ere years of slow growth of hope and prayer-when