Sister Catherine Cairns
Sr. Catherine, or Cathie, as she preferred to be called, was one of four children, two girls and two boys, born to William and Mary Cairns, in Glasgow, Scotland. They were a close-knit family to whom Cathie was very attached and they supported her right through her life.
Cathie was educated at St. John’s Catholic Primary School, and Holy Rood Secondary School, Glasgow. It was here that she first met the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions who were visiting schools in Scotland on Vocation work. After some time, she decided that God was inviting her to missionary life in our Congregation and in due course she was received as a postulant in Hastings.
Cathie’s first mission, after Profession, was Chew Magna’s Junior school where her great gift for teaching small children was soon recognised. After this first experience in the classroom there followed three years in Notre Dame Training College, Liverpool, where she obtained a Certificate in Education for Infants- Juniors. Her main specialisation was Divinity.
Following her training, she was to minister in many of the schools throughout the province, Chew Magna, Leeds, Deal, Leyland and Cathcart, in all of which her excellence as a teacher was recognised. She continued to keep herself updated in new educational developments, especially in the field of Catechetics, and used it all for the benefit of her young charges.
In 1973 Cathie was given the opportunity of attending the International Tertianship programme in Via die Laghi, Rome. She enjoyed this time of renewal and meeting Sisters from around the Congregation.
When she entered our Congregation, her desire was to be a missionary abroad. This wish was realised when she was missioned to Peru in 1978. After orientation and language school, she was appointed as Catechist in the mission in Ilo. Unfortunately, her stay in South America was short-lived and she returned to the Province in 1979. It was a difficult time for Cathie and she welcomed time in Scotland, doing household duties in Cathcart. She had a short spell in Kirby where she taught, part-time, in a local school and helped in the Mother and Baby Unit. When, eventually, she moved back to Scotland, the school staff in Kirby, where she taught, expressed great regret that she was leaving them and spoke highly of her competence as a teacher.
She was to teach in Scotland from 1990 until she retired in 2002 after which she became involved in other education-related apostolates. She taught catechism to catholic children attending the Scots-Gaelic school in Glasgow and was very committed to SPRED, the organisation that reaches out and integrates teens and adults with special needs, into the parish family.
Unfortunately, early in 2018 Cathie became very unwell. She was eventually diagnosed with terminal cancer. While this was a shock to her, she showed great courage and made the decision not to accept any further treatment. Her nephew, Philip Staunton, and his wife Frances, a nurse, invited Cathie to stay with them and lovingly cared for her, meeting her every need. Sr. Margo, Provincial, and the three sisters in Scotland, visited as often as possible, and were warmly welcomed by Philip and Frances.
The Parish Priest of St. Andrew’s Church, Bearsden, Fr. Mackle, attended Cathie regularly and she asked him to officiate at her Requiem Mass. She told him to make sure he called her “Cathie” and that his homily was not to be all about her! She received a very special grace during her last few weeks, as she accepted the reality that death was coming soon. When asked if she had cried about it, she said, “No, what would be the point of crying about it?” She was very calm and peaceful and, with the Sisters, prepared her own funeral. Death came quietly on 14th May 2018.
The day of her funeral was bright and clear. Fr. Mackle was true to his promise, and celebrated Cathie’s Requiem Mass. Sister Margo and the Sisters joined the family, and each took an active part, both on the evening before, for the reception of Cathie’s body, and at the Mass. Afterwards, the funeral procession wended its way to St. Peter’s, Dalbeth, where Cathie was laid to rest with our other Sisters buried there. May God rest her soul.
Fr. Mackle continued to remember her, and at a special Mass of Remembrance in November, for all who died during the year, he invited the Sisters to light the candle for Cathie and place it on the altar.
“Let me sing to Yahweh for the goodness he has shown me.” Psalm 13: 5