The recent death of Sr Maura McAvoy OP
Sadly Dominican sister and former staff member of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ, Sr Maura McAvoy OP passed away in Auburn NSW on Monday 6 July after some weeks of ill health.
Sr Maura had extensive leadership experience and generously served the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ community from 1991-1993 as Principal of the then ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ Senior School.
In 1994, Sr Maura became Deputy Director of Catholic Education in Tasmania, a position she held for five years followed by four years as a Senior Education Consultant with the TCEO including oversight of Religious Education in the Archdiocese.
Sr Maura had a reputation for strong curriculum development, teacher formation and staff professional development. She took a keen interest in early career teachers and was well-known for her pastoral care of others. She was always interested in the interface between theory and practice and understood the importance of good administration to a school’s development.
We give thanks for Sr Maura’s wonderful life of service as a Dominican sister for 57 years. She was a dedicated and compassionate educator with a great sense of humour and genuine love of children and young people. She credited her staff for any achievement under her leadership and was often ready to take a risk when others were not.
The only surviving member of her immediate family, Sr Maura grew up in Northern Ireland and did her teacher training in Belfast before coming to Melbourne in 1960. Three years later she entered the Dominican novitiate. She was a faithful Dominican emulating Dominic’s life of humble contemplation in community.
Sr Maura was 84 years old on her passing and will be greatly missed by her much-loved Dominican family and is remembered with affection.
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord
and may perpetual light shine upon her
May she rest in peace
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered for Sr Maura in the Santa Sabina Chapel, Strathfield (Sydney) on Friday 10 July @ 11am followed by interment at Rookwood Cemetery.
The Mass will be live streamed and can be accessed via the following link:
A Requiem Mass will be held on next Tuesday, 14 July at 2pm at St John’s Church, Glenorchy, celebrated by Fr Chris Hope.
Ms Beth Gilligan, Principal
A Catholic School in the Salesian Tradition