Sr Patricia McLaughlin A Loreto sister originally from Co. Antrim has received the highest honour granted by the Peruvian state in recognition of her contribution to education.
Sr Patricia McLaughlin, who has been ministering in Peru since 2000, has been presented with the 2017 Palmas Magisteriales Award on behalf of the Fe y Alegria School where she is the founding principal. “If our work can make a difference to the life of one child, then, it is worthwhile,” she said.
“I think we got that award because we had shown that poor children can achieve as much as any others if they are given the chance.”
Recognition
This comes after Dublin native Sr Mary Owens was presented with a State Recognition Award in Kenya for her dedication to the country’s Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) programme.
Sr Orla Tracey from Wicklow – who is principal of the Loreto Secondary School in Rumbek, South Sudan – was also announced as the 2017 recipient of the Hugh O’Flaherty International Award.