Mary de Lourdes Gogan facts for kids

Sister Mary de Lourdes Gogan was an amazing Irish nun and nurse. She was part of the Medical Missionaries of Mary and worked as a missionary in Nigeria. She helped many people there.

Growing Up and Becoming a Nurse

Sister Mary de Lourdes Gogan was born Christina Gogan. People also called her Chrissie. She was born in Dunshaughlin, County Meath, Ireland. Her birthday was December 21, 1908. She was one of eight children.

Christina went to primary school in her local area. Later, she studied at the Mercy Convent in Arklow. She then went to Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Dublin. There, she trained to become a nurse. She earned her nursing qualification in 1932.

Her Journey as a Nurse and Missionary

After becoming a nurse, Christina worked in Dublin. She was a staff nurse at Pembroke Nursing Home until 1936. Then she worked as a private nurse until 1940.

On February 11, 1940, she joined the Medical Missionaries of Mary. This was a special group of nuns who were also medical professionals. Sister Mary Martin, who started the group, once had a flat tire in Dunshaughlin. She was invited into the Gogan home for tea. This is how Christina met her.

Christina became a nun on September 8, 1942. She then worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. In 1944, she studied to become a midwife. Midwives help mothers during childbirth.

Helping People in Nigeria

On April 5, 1945, Sister Gogan went to Ogoja, Nigeria. She went with two other sisters, Sr M. Aloysius Connolly and Sr M. Philomena Doyle. Their goal was to set up medical services. They wanted to help people with leprosy, which was very common there. They worked with a doctor named Joseph Barnes.

Sister Gogan was in charge of giving treatments. These were injections of a special oil. It helped with some of the symptoms of leprosy. For her first few days, she taught basic nursing skills. She taught a small group of boys who spoke English. These boys then became her helpers. By the end of 1945, they had a regular medical service. It helped people in Ogoja and the surrounding areas.

Expanding Medical Care

After their success in Ogoja, the sisters planned to open more services. They wanted to open a unit in Abakaliki. They also planned a second unit in Obudu, near the Cameroun mountains. Sister Gogan and Sr M. Brigid Kavanagh were sent to Abakaliki.

In this new area, people spoke the Igbo language. The local missionary priests helped them meet the people. Their leprosy treatment center was four miles from Abakaliki town. They could only travel by bicycle. Even so, their work against leprosy was very successful.

Later, a new medicine called Dapsone became available. It was a very effective cure for leprosy. By 1950, this medicine was used regularly. More medical services were started in the area. When Sister Gogan returned from a visit home to Ireland, she got new responsibilities. She became the sister in charge at Ogoja. She also oversaw the regional superior at Obudu. And she managed the general and maternity hospital at Afikpo. Other sisters, like Eileen Morris, also joined the mission in Nigeria.

In the years that followed, Sister Gogan helped start many hospitals. These included general and maternity hospitals. They were in Obudu, Ikom, Nkalagu, and nDubia.

Staying During the Civil War

Sister Gogan was supposed to go home for a break in 1967. But the Nigerian civil war started on July 6, 1967. She chose to stay with her fellow sisters. She stayed until the fighting moved away from Ogoja. She wanted to make sure medical services were restored. She continued her work until 1969. By then, she was not strong enough to continue missionary work.

Later Life and Passing

Sister Gogan returned to Ireland in June 1969. She became the sister superior at Airmount Maternity Hospital in Waterford. She worked there for five years.

She later lived at the Beechgrove convent. For her last six years, she lived at the Áras Mhuire Nursing Home in Drogheda. She passed away there on May 8, 2000. Sister Mary de Lourdes Gogan is buried in Drogheda.