Sister Gerard Filgate’s Diamond Jubilee

2011 is a special year here in Glencairn, as we have the joy of celebrating two “Diamond” anniversaries; two of our senior sisters will have been professed to the monastic life for no less than 60 years.

On the 22 February the friends and relatives of our Sister Gerard Filgate gathered with the community to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee, a day for us to give thanks for her joyful commitment and belonging to God and to this community where she has faithfully served and devoted herself to the Work of God, and to her personal prayer and monastic duties for a lifetime. Sister Gerard is particularly remembered in her service of the sisters in the role of infirmarian and in his homily at her Jubilee Mass, our Mt Melleray Chaplain Fr Patrick reflected on Sr Gerard’s caring qualities of kindness and generosity and humour over the years which we have all been the recipients of. He also noted her “soft spot” for animals, especially her dear donkeys, the dogs, and even the goldfish residing in our cloistergarth pond in the heart of the monastery. A keen gardener, Sr Gerard also had charge of the cloistergarth garden for many years. Mother Marie, in her words at the close of the ceremony also spoke of the humanity that Sr Gerard brings to us in her “golden years” with her humour and wit and her affectionate ways. A native of Dublin, Sister Gerard has always been very proud of her family of whom she is very fond and though some of them sadly could not be with us on the day, we look forward to uniting with them in celebration at a later date during the summer.

See more photos of the day in our Events Gallery