As announced by Sister Angèle Nkamsi, MSHR, on behalf of the Congregational Secretary of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, Dublin, Ireland:

Sister Hillary Lyons died peacefully in the early hours of Saturday, 11 January in her community in Temple Road, Dartry, Dublin.

Sr. Hilary was born on 6 February 1924 in Louisburgh, County Mayo, Ireland. She entered the Congregation in Killeshandra, on 2 February 1943 and was professed on 28 August 1945. She read Medicine in National University of Ireland, Dublin and St. Vincent’s Hospital Dublin and qualified in 1952. She also qualified in Public Health from the Institute for Public Health, Antwerp, Belgium in 1974.

In 1953, exactly ten years after Hilary entered the congregation, she set out for Sierra Leone, her first missionary assignment. She served in Bo as a Medical Staff in Dr. Margal’s Private Clinic for a year before being assigned to Serabu Mission Hospital as the Medical Superintendent from 1954 to 1973. In 1974, Hilary was away from her most loved mission land for some study in Belgium; a course on International Health Development.

At the end of the course, Hilary returned to Serabu Mission Hospital and worked in Community Medical Work until 1982 when she was assigned to Bo. For the next twelve years, she worked in the Rural Development Project with the Ministry of Health, for the Government of Sierra Leone.

The year, 1994 to 1995 was a period for Hilary to slow down a little from the great strides and so she served during this year in Freetown Community in the capacity of Housekeeper. Then came 1995 when there was need for a change in mission owing to the disruption of the programs in Sierra Leone by the raging war. This next assignment brought Hilary to the shores of Cameroon where she served in health care for three years in the Holy Family Health Centre, Akum.

Hilary returned to Ireland in 1998 for a year’s sabbatical, after which she was assigned to Donagmede Community from 1999 to 2005. From 2005 to 2007 she worked with the MSHR Communications Committee, Between Ourselves Newsletter, Dalymount, Dublin. In 2006 she was assigned to Rathfarnham Wood Community from where she continued with the communications work. From 2008 to 2010, she engaged in Writing and Speaking Ad-hoc before retiring in Temple Road Community in 2010.

Hilary felt unwell yesterday and went to see the doctor. Returning to her community in Temple Road, she slept for longer periods and at about 2:30 a.m. (Irish time) this morning, God called her HOME. She will be greatly missed by all her community members, her family and friends. She inspired and touched very many lives through her giftedness and missionary endeavors; May God receive her in His Eternal embrace.

The funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.