Sister Mary Martina Burke (Mary Honora Burke)

Martina, christened Mary Hanora, was born in Australia and was the third child of Martin and Anastasia Burke. The family moved to New Zealand while Martina was still young, with her two elder brothers David and Tom. She would often tell us the stories of her brothers and their antics. They were very important to her and she kept contact with her family throughout her life.

Martina began her schooling at St Joseph’s school in Barbadoes Street Christchurch and thus began her long association with the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. From an early age she had the desire to “go and mind black babies” not a phrase we would use today but you can see in it the desire to go and serve others. No doubt this would have been fostered by the sisters’ missionary stories and the efforts to raise money to help the children that the
sisters worked with.

At the age of 12 Martina began her secondary education as a juvenist at Mt St Anne’s. She enjoyed the girls and the atmosphere established by Mother Dominica who was in charge in those days. She entered the novitiate at Ferry Road in 1953 and was given the name Mary Martina. She made her first profession on 15 August 1955, and immediately began her teaching career at Sacred Heart School Addington where she spent two years. Like most of the sisters who were primary school teachers at that time, Martina moved to a different school every couple of years. She taught in Ashburton, St Joseph’s at Ferry Road, Port Ahuriri in Napier, Sumner, Petone and Woolston. Her leadership skills were recognised early on as she was principal in Napier, Sumner and Petone as well as the superior of the sisters’ community at Sumner and Petone. She was an enthusiastic and energetic teacher who inspired many
young people with her joy and creativity.

In 1971 Martina had the chance for overseas renewal and attended the tertianship in Rome. She loved her time there and took the opportunity to visit her brother Tom, and sister-inlaw Colette, in France.

In 1974 Martina moved to Nelson and began her Secondary Teaching career which lasted for 12 years. She taught at Redwood College in Nelson, and then Sacred Heart Colleges in Christchurch and Napier. She was well loved by both staff and pupils. She encouraged many young teachers in their teaching career and supported, in a very tangible way, those in whom she could see the potential to become teachers of Religious Education.

She took up the position of Religious Education Adviser in the Christchurch diocese in 1986. Here she worked with a team who helped leaders, teachers and parents prepare themselves and their children for the sacraments and for a life of faith. Martina’s gifts of friendliness, creativity and enjoyment of life would have been well used and needed in this role.

Martina’s academic ability was encouraged when in 1992 she moved to Auckland and studied theology, obtaining a BTheol in Biblical Studies in April 1995. She was always a great community sister and her gifts of caring for others, her sense of fun and laughter and her willingness to do and be for others made the communities she lived in happy and joyful places. After finishing the degree she took up a role in the Religious Education office in
Auckland.

1999 brought another change of direction when Martina moved to Rome to be part of the General Leadership Community where she took on the role of General Secretary. This would have been a very rewarding role as she came in contact with our sisters from all over the world. Again her sense of fun and her ability to relate well was invaluable.

Martina moved back to Christchurch in 2002 and again took up a role in Adult Education. Her warm friendly nature and welcoming smile endeared her to others. She readily shared her knowledge in an engaging and gracious way. She would speak her mind but always in a respectful manner.

On Friday 29 April Martina went to Christchurch Hospital for an appointment. To the dismay of the sisters, she was admitted immediately, and did not return home. She moved to Nurse Maude Hospice on Thursday 12 May. Her health continued to decline rapidly and she died peacefully on the morning of Monday 23 May with the sisters at her bedside.

Over 100 people including many of Martina’s family, gathered on Tuesday night in Sacred Heart Church Addington for a vigil of prayer and thanksgiving for Martina. Stories were shared and there was laughter and tears as we remembered a much loved RNDM. The following day the church was full with over 200 people who gathered for the Requiem of Thanksgiving to celebrate Martina’s Life. Father Anton McLean, a long-time friend of Martina’s, celebrated the Eucharist and we could not fail to remember being in the church just 9 months earlier in August 2015 when we gathered with Martina to celebrate her 60 years of profession.
Martina was enthusiastic, generous, wise, fun loving, woman who lived her RNDM life fully with energy and vitality.
May she rest in God’s eternal love and peace