Sr Breidge (right) with novice Sr Léonie Marie The Dominicans in Meath “rejoiced and celebrated” with Sr Maria Breidge as she made her first profession last week.
Sr Breidge was a founding member of Mary’s Meals in her native Donegal and a supporter of their many fund-raising walks to Knock. It was on one of these walks that she began to consider her vocation as a contemplative nun, which led her to the Monastery of St Catherine of Siena in Drogheda.
In a statement the Dominican nuns said: “When one becomes aware of the enormous needs of our world with so few volunteers to help relieve the suffering of humankind and bring them the Gospel of Christ we become more acutely aware of the need to pray and intercede with the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to His harvest.
“This reiterates the teaching of Vatican II which states that ‘no matter how pressing may be the needs of the active ministry’ of the Church, there will always be a place for those who give themselves to a life of prayer and sacrifice for they ‘enlarge the Church by their hidden apostolic fruitfulness’.”
Fr Gerard Dunne officiated at the ceremony, assisted by Fr Paul Clayton-Lea on October 7. Due to Covid-19 restrictions her family and friends from Co. Donegal and other Dominican brothers and sisters were unable to attend.