Sister Joan Smyth
Sr. Mary Joan, Annie Smyth, was born in Co. Offaly, Ireland in 1926, the youngest of three children one boy and two girls, to John Smyth and Mary Fitzsimons Smyth. Sadly, tragedy touched the family, in the death of their dear mother, when the children were very young, leaving their father to care for his children, on his own.
Joan entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in 1944. As World War Two was still in progress, it was deemed safer for Joan and her companions to be received as postulants in Limavady, Northern Ireland, in August 1944. However, they moved to Hastings in September of that year and continued as Postulants until March 1945 when Joan was received into the Novitiate.
After her First Profession Joan went to Chew Magna Convent, near Bristol. Here she served the community in household duties and as laundress. She had particular talent in this area, was meticulous in taking care of the Sisters’ clothing, especially the starched veils that were worn in those days. She could always spot a coif that was not quite right and it had to be returned to source for re-doing.
In the 1960’s, Sr. Joan went to London to do nursing training, during which time she was a member of the Wealdstone community. Training finished, she was missioned to the French Province in 1967, where she was to spend twenty years, mainly in Lyons. Her responsibilities included laundry work, household duties, helping to care for the sick and she was a driver for the community (for which she gained a reputation) whenever a chauffeur was needed. Another apostolate for which she is remembered was that of hospitality to visiting seminarians and priests, who were travelling from Rome, via France, to their native Ireland. Many gratefully remember her kindness.
On returning to her home province in 1987, Joan was missioned to the Beechcourt Community in Deal, Kent; before taking up her actual duties, she participated in a three months’ renewal course in Hawkstone Hall. She enjoyed her time there and, renewed in spirit, she threw herself enthusiastically into the apostolates of her new community. This involved working for a while in Deal hospital where her nursing skills were put to good use. She also became very involved in the local parish and was noted for her gifts in fund-raising, especially in selling raffle tickets, for which she was well-known around Deal. It is said that only the bravest might look the other way when Joan came along with her book of tickets!
Mary Joan’s community benefitted from her green fingers with plants. She produced a wonderful array of colour in the garden; and the convent chapel and local parish Church witnessed to her hard work. She was also very generous in supplying some other gardeners in the province with blooms. But although she loved working in the garden her preferred community ministry was the Sacristy. She considered it a great privilege to look after the altar, to keep it beautiful and prepare for Mass.
As in other communities, she continued to serve as laundress in Deal; and she was always willing to drive the Sisters to various places, especially to Sturry, albeit having special rules about times to depart and leave!
After seventeen years in Deal, Mary Joan was missioned to St. Annes’s Convent, Sturry, in 2004, where she devoted herself to taking care of the chapel and sacristy. However, the time came when her health began to deteriorate and it was realised that she needed fulltime care. This she received from the Sisters and our devoted staff. Her final years were full of contentment and, in spite of memory failure, she still loved to see visitors.
Mary Joan’s death came quietly, and peacefully, on 21st January 2019.
This was the second death in St. Anne’s in the month of January, Joan’s having been preceded by Sr. Kathleen McMenamin. Their funeral Mass was concelebrated on 31st. January, in St. Anne’s Chapel, by our ever-faithful, Fr. Malachy, assisted by Fr. Bradley from Deal and a friend of Joan’s from Ireland, Fr. Martin O’Shea. Her nephew, Gerard, and wife Jean, represented the Smyth family. Sisters from the Province Leadership Team, and London and Deal communities, joined the Sturry Sisters in a beautiful Liturgy of thanksgiving, after which the burial took place in the little cemetery close to St.Anne’s Convent. Joan has now joined the great numbers of our dear R.N.D.M family interceding for us, we hope, before the Lord. May she rest in peace
‘Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine’ Isaiah 43: 1