Anne Maria Doyle, CSJP (1923-2024)
Sister Anne Maria Doyle was born in Slievereagh, Co. Wicklow, Ireland, on 12 April 1923. She was the eldest of nine children born to Patrick and Winifred Doyle. On 6 September 1938, Sister Anne Maria responded to God’s call and travelled with Christina Burke, another aspirant, to Nottingham, England, to join the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace. She entered the novitiate on 15 August 1940 and made final profession on 15 August 1945.
Sister Anne Maria completed her secondary education at Sacred Heart Convent School in Nottingham and went on to Endsleigh Training College, Hull, England, where she graduated as a teacher in 1946. She loved teaching and, for 30 years, shared her gifts with children in Nottingham, Leicester, Hanwell and Goole, England.
While still teaching, Sister Anne Maria was asked to take on the role of Novice Mistress in 1967. Two years later, in response to Pope Paul VI’s request for priests and sisters to serve on the mission fields, she served as a teacher in Chingola, Zambia. On her return from Africa, she pursued a one-year course of study in Rome.
In 1973, Sister Anne Maria was elected Provincial of Sacred Heart Province for a term of six years. These were years of renewal, experimentation, and change in religious life. The sisters were happy to be part of that movement as they explored new ministries and adapted to new lifestyles and dress. Sister Anne Maria was always supportive and affirming of others and encouraged sisters, who felt drawn to a change of ministry, to venture forth. She also encouraged sisters to pursue studies in theology, spirituality, and Vatican II documents. Many availed of the opportunities. Prayer and community life remained the bedrock of these changes in religious life.
Sister Anne Maria was a creative, artistic person who used her talents in imaginative ways. During the mid-1970s, she designed the peace badge we are proud to wear. The badge was taken to our 1978 Chapter in Seattle, Washington, where our American sisters were so thrilled with it that it was adopted as our Congregation emblem. She also loved flowers and delighted in creating floral displays for the chapel.
On completing her term of office as Provincial, Sister Anne Maria went to a newly formed house of prayer in Grimsby, England. For many years, she was a welcoming presence to those who came for retreat, quiet days, or simply to spend time in prayer. In 1991, Sister Anne Maria moved to Leicester and served at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Braunstone. She was involved in the RCIA and helped children prepare for the reception of the sacraments. During her 11 years there, her gentle disposition endeared her to the many people that she encountered.
After retiring in 2002, Sister Anne Maria pursued a spirituality course at Hawkstone Hall, a Redemptorist retreat centre in England. This afforded her opportunities for study, prayer, reflection, and relaxation. On returning to the convent in Leicester, she continued to be a welcome presence to all who called and an active part of the community. She had a positive attitude to life and a deep empathy towards people who struggled in their own lives.
Sister Anne Maria was very close to her family and was interested in all their undertakings. Until recently, she often traveled home to Ireland to spend time with them. She attended family occasions and enjoyed meeting the successive generations of her family. Her family home was near Kiltegan, where the St. Patrick's Society for the Foreign Missions headquarters is located. Sister Anne Maria requested that any donations in her memory go to the Kiltegan Fathers at St. Patrick's.
Throughout her life, Sister Anne Marie was a prayerful, reflective person. As she experienced her own diminishment, she was at peace knowing God was leading her home. She died peacefully at 11:50 am on Sunday, 14 January 2024, at home at St. Joseph's Convent, in Leicester, shortly after her very good friend Father John Lally visited and prayed with her.
Sister Anne Maria will be deeply missed by the sisters and carers at the convent, where she shared her curious spirit each and every day, participating in the daily life of the community. We hold in prayer all those who loved Sister Anne Maria, most especially her local community, her family, and the sisters and associates of the United Kingdom region.
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Loving God, and let perpetual light shine upon us. May she rest in Peace. Amen.