Margaret O'Rourke, RIP

Maggie was born on the feast of the Epiphany, in a year untold and died on the 168th anniversary of the 13th apparition of Lourdes, where the message was “to come in procession.” She lived through 5 Monarchs, 20 Prime Ministers,9 Cardinals at Westminster and 9 Popes. A good span of history.

If it’s possible to sum up a life in a few words, Maggie’s would be: Pilgrim, Nurse, Mother, Friend

Pilgrim: Maggie made many pilgrimages including The Holy Land, Rome, Compostella, Fatima, Medjugorje, Walsingham and even Hednesford, but the one that played a major role in her life was Lourdes. Her first pilgrimage to Lourdes was during the Pontificate of Pope Pius XII and her last was under the Pontificate of Pope Francis. She was a silver medal member of Ste. Frai Notre Dame de Lourdes stagiaire. Lourdes was where she felt most at home and where she spent most of her happiest days. From the night duty train and pilgrimage nurse on the women’s ward in the Ste.Frai to starting a children’s ward, to taking the children and families to a hotel environment for the pilgrimage. She may be most remembered on the CA for the Grand Order of Babysitters and those bright yellow uniforms. In 1969 the most eligible bachelor brancs were summoned to the women’s ward annex, to babysit whilst Maggie and Mac took the mothers out for a beverage or two. These willing babysitters were rewarded with Guardian angel medals and a beer. In the 40 plus years it operated begging letters, donations and marmalade sales took over 1000 children and their grown-ups to Lourdes with the CA. Nel Atkin and St. Pope JPII arranged a Benemerenti Medal for all her work taking children to Lourdes. She always said it wasn’t her who took people to Lourdes, it was Our Lady. If Our Lady of Lourdes wanted you to be in Lourdes then that’s what would happen, it just so happened Maggie assisted the logistics, usually with a ticket and passport, occasionally without either.

Nurse; Maggie trained as an orthopaedic nurse before transferring to the District Nurse service. She began on a bicycle, then a moped before getting a car. She loved being a district nurse. She also went to Romania as an Aid worker after the fall of the Ceausescu regime working amongst the elderly and infirm.

Mother; Maggie liked to ‘mother’ people. Babies would be picked up and almost instantly fall asleep. As a mother figure she nurtured those that needed nurturing, she was happy to mentor younger people to learn new skills that may have seemed impossible while also being compassionate and resilient. She was also quick to give a mother’s advice, whether it was sought or not, it was given with the best of intentions.

Friend; Maggie had many friends of all ages and from many different backgrounds, yet of all of her friends who knew her not very many can actually remember the first time they met her, you just sort of knew her, she was just part of your life. There was one particular way that you knew you were properly her friend though. You probably had at least one argument with her. As she said if you can’t argue with a friend who can you argue with.

Maggie always loved the CA Pilgrimage, she said it was the closest thing to family she could think of.

Margaret Mary Smith // Maggie O’Rourke: Requiescat in pace