Sr Mary Carmel Pearce R.I.P

I would like to welcome here today those who come especially to remember Sr Mary

Carmel. Some of you from her early life lived close by in Becontree and some from the latter

part of it lived in llford, Forest Gate and finally Chestnut Manor a stone’s throw away.

But there are several people to whom she is well known, who are not physically present but

thanks to modern streaming , are united with us today, for them it’s about 4am. They are

Ursuline sisters, friends, past pupils, alumnae of St Anne’s orphanage, and work colleagues.

They come from four countries, Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, and Venezuela as, immediately

after final profession, Mary Carmel joined the Ursuline Caribbean Province

Mary Carmel died aged 89 - definitely a long life well lived, but it seems to be in the genes of

that era since there are at least five people present today from her class at school and I am

one of them.

She had one sister Pat, 6 years older than her. She herself was called Jean. Her father was

hoping for a boy and this was the nearest he could get. Aged 5, in September 1939 she was

evacuated with St Vincent’s school, her mother was one of the volunteer mum’s

accompanying them, Pat, then at Ilford Ursuline went to Devizes, and her dad stayed in

London. But mum quickly decided it was better to be bombed than scattered like this so

they quickly returned to Becontree. Mary Carmel had incredibly vivid memories of growing

up in wartime London. Some memories were painful but underlying it all is a picture of

adventure and excitement and of a warm and united family. In February 1945 she took the

11 plus but the siren went off during the exam so they all had to dive under their desks.

When the all clear went they returned to their seats and carried on!

She got the scholarship and a place St Angela’s Forest Gate. At interview she met Brenda.

The following September they found themselves in the same class and their lifelong

friendship began. Brenda is present today. They went together to Teacher Training College

and when Jean finished she applied to our Novitiate. She had however, a very strong desire

to be a missionary and together they constructed the letter of application making it clear it

was for the missions which following Brenda’s advice she underlined. The request, was very

unusual and in fact went unnoticed until it was pointed out by Jean, now Sister Mary

Carmel, so special arrangements had to be made.

After Final profession in August 1960 there was a special dedication service for a missionary,

conducted in fact by Bishop Heenan, who had come to judge the winning design for

Liverpool cathedral, the exhibits were on display in Wimbledon Ursuline. Immediately after

Sister Mary Carmel left for Heathrow en-route for the Caribbean Province, and she never

expected to return. It became her lifelong region of adoption. A place she loved, to which

she was wholly committed and to which she made an amazing contribution. She was

provincial twice and responsible for the schools in Barbados and Venezuela. She also

engaged herself totally in ordinary life and local customs taking a full share in cooking and

caring for the sick. Although English was the normal language of the province, she even

learnt Spanish for Venezuela. Here are some of the memories they have shared with us.

“ Mary Carmel came to the Caribbean Province after her final profession and spent more

than 50 years with us. She exemplified the qualities of a true missionary fully entering our

way of life. She was a compassionate, simple and easy-going companion in community.

Parents and students loved her.”

“I cherish the memories of her, first when I was a pupil of St Angela's in the 60s - a very

special lady.”

“Oh my!  I’m so sorry to hear the news of the passing of Sr. Mary Carmel. She was a warm,

beautiful and joy-filled soul. It was a blessing to live in the same Community with Mary

Carmel.”

She was not however destined to die in her adopted mission. Her only sister became

seriously ill and she felt she needed to come to look after her. So, she returned to the

English province for the last 10 years visited her regularly until Pat died.

Mary Carmel was affable, easy going, and welcoming and had a real interest in people. As

well as looking after Pat she also entered into local parish and community life and there are

many friends here today from that time. She was good company and had a sense of fun.

Gradually she herself became ill and went to our Nursing Home at Westgate and

subsequently to Wanstead. There it became evident she had reached her last illness. She

went to the Royal London Hospital with a high fever and it was there, died despite our best

efforts for her to return to Chestnut Manor, she died Mary Carmel was naturally warm and

gracious but she was never a pushover; she knew her own mind. So, I like to think that she

had a hand in dying alone. May she rest in peace.