Sr. Rose Malone
On the 1st May 2023, Rose had a fall and was sent to hospital to check out some pain resulting from this. She deteriorated during the day and died suddenly and peacefully that night. This sudden passing was a big shock to us all, but a blessing for Rose.
Rose was baptized Kathleen Shirley but was always known as Shirley. She was born in Hamilton on 17th May 1926 and was the second child of James and Rose Malone. She had two sisters, Joan and Lorraine, and a brother, Maurice. They were brought up in Frankton, Hamilton.
The Malone family had a long association with Frankton and the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. All of Rose‛s grandparents came from Ireland. Rose‛s grandmother, her mother‛s mother, arrived in Frankton at the age of seven and grew up there. She could remember the arrival of the Mission Sisters in Hamilton in 1884.
Rose‛s mother also grew up in Frankton and was educated by the Sisters in Hamilton East.
Rose‛s primary schooling was at Forest Lake Primary School, and St Columba‛s School, Frankton. Her secondary schooling was with the Mission Sisters at Sacred Heart Girls‛ College, Hamilton. (It was then known as St Mary‛s.)
After leaving school, Rose trained as a teacher at Auckland Teachers‛ College. She also attended Auckland University to study part time for an Arts Degree, which was completed a few years later.
Her first teaching position was as a Probationary Assistant at Whitiora Primary School where she taught for a year. Then she entered our Novitiate in Christchurch in 1947 and was given the name, Sister Mary Rose of Lima. She made her First Profession in January 1950.
There were eleven Sisters in her group. They were known as ‘The Eleven, thank God‛ because there was much gratitude and joy that so many young women had entered at the same time. After Profession, Rose completed her university studies in Auckland and gained a Bachelor of Arts.
Then began almost thirty years of teaching as an RNDM. Within that time, she had a year in Rome where she did Theological studies at Regina Mundi.
Those thirty years of teaching Geography, English, Latin and Music, were almost entirely in our Sacred Heart Colleges in Hamilton and New Plymouth. She also taught for a couple of years at Sacred Heart College in Pukekohe which was also our Juniorate. This College closed in the early 1960‛s.
At the time of the centenary at Sacred Heart College, New Plymouth, there was an article written entitled, ‘Headmistresses We Have Known‛. Rose was one of these.
In 1966 when Sr M. John retired, Sr M. Rose – already 9 years a member of the staff – succeeded her, guiding the College through exciting years of development: the PTA became more securely established; State Aid was introduced; the number of pupils increased, bringing the need for a more diversified syllabus and the introduction of lay teachers. The College became an Accrediting school; and joint sports, social occasions, and academic lessons with Francis Douglas (Memorial College) began. Sr M. Rose, herself a tireless worker, was a lover of music, English literature, and Latin; she inspired high standards, establishing a tradition in choral work, and she also initiated the College‛s interest in debating which has met with a considerable degree of success throughout the succeeding years.
After she finished teaching, Rose lived in our Opotiki, Remuera, Dannevirke, Panmure and Ellerslie communities where she was involved in Parish ministry, service to the community, and pastoral care.
Wherever she was, she generously used her many qualities and gifts for others. Whatever she did was done thoroughly. She was intelligent, a good listener, very supportive of others and was always very hospitable and gracious.
In 1997, Rose moved to Pakuranga where she lived for the next 10 years. It was at this time that she became involved with the Citizens‛ Advice Bureau, and with Lifeline as a counsellor. She loved this ministry and thrived on it. She was greatly appreciated and respected by those running the CAB and Lifeline, so much so that when she finished being a counsellor on Lifeline, she was invited to continue as a trainer.
She wrote of her CAB work that it ‘was gratifying to be able to resource a person and enable him or her to take greater control of his/her life.‛ She also wrote: ‘In both CAB and Lifeline, I have met the vulnerable and needy, those on the margins of society, and, I hope, have shown the love and caring of Christ by my presence and service.‛
In August 2008, Rose moved to a unit in the Ellerslie RNDM community and was there for eight years before she moved to Mary McKillop Care in Mission Bay.
In 2019, when Mary McKillop Care needed to close, she moved to Selwyn Village in Point Chevalier, Auckland.
Even in care, her interest in people and her hospitality were evident, making sure there were enough chairs in her room for her visitors, and a drink for them and something to eat.
Accompanying her visitors to the main door when they were leaving was always important to Mary Rose.
We are grateful to the staff of Mary McKillop and Ivan Ward at Selwyn Village who cared so well for Rose over the last few years.
A big thanks to our Auckland Sisters for their support of Rose. Very special thanks to Mary Molloy, for her loving care of Rose and for seeing to her needs for so long.
We are grateful to God for the gift of Rose‛s long life with us.
We ask that she now knows eternal joy and peace with her God.