Sr. Margaret Loreto Houlihan of the Presentation Congregation died in the city. She was 95. Her funeral was held on Saturday.
Sr. Loreto was among the last of Irish nuns in Chennai and arrived in the city in 1943.
Sr. Loreto travelled from Liverpool to India in 1943 at the age of 17 along with two sisters from other congregations, said Sr. Fatima Rodrigo of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Presentation Provincialate, South India Province.
She learnt Tamil during the 30-day voyage to India. She pursued a Teachers Training Course at Church Park College, owing to her love for little children.
For nearly 45 years, Sr. Loreto rendered her services in Perambur and was known to several long-time residents and families in the area, having interacted with four generations of some families. Apart from Perambur, she had rendered her services at Royapuram, George Town, Vepery, Church Park and Egmore as well as Kodaikanal. For about four years from 1951, Sr. Loreto was in Jharkhand.
As one of the last Irish nuns in Chennai, Sr. Loreto’s life was the subject of a documentary titled Sister India directed by Myles O’Reilley. Aine Edwards, a long-time friend of Sr. Loreto, who produced the documentary, remembered her with warmth and affection. “For me, she always felt like a piece of Ireland in India and was a great source of support when I was new to the country. The film about her and her life is special and important,” she said.
