Sister Mary Sweeney to receive Ireland's Presidential Distinguished Service Award

Cluny Sister Mary Sweeney to Receive Ireland's Presidential Distinguished Service Award

Cluny Sister Mary Dolores Sweeney, SJC is one of this year's recipients of the Irish Presidential award for Irish abroad for her role in coordinating a response to the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone. Sister Mary has been missioned in the West African nation of Sierra Leone for 44 years. In 1979 she founded St. Joseph's School for the Hearing Impaired in Makeni, Sierra Leone. 

Through a decade of civil war in the 1990's followed by the Ebola crisis and the continuing aftermath of both, the Cluny sisters have persevered with the help of many. During the Ebola crisis, Sister Mary said, “it was what came in from Dungloe, and Donegal, and friends, that kept us giving when there was nothing else.” 

Cluny schools in Sierra Leone enroll about 2,000 students, and “many, many of those children would have lost their parents” to Ebola, Sister Mary said.

In the announcement of this year's recipients made by the Irish government it was noted that in establishing St. Joseph’s School for the Hearing Impaired, Sister Mary “has given education, skills training and life opportunities to the most vulnerable of people”.

The award will be presented in December.

Congratulations, Sister Mary!

To listen to an interview with Sister Mary, Follow this link:

https://vimeo.com/38953184