The life’s work and lasting legacy of the late Sr Ethel Normoyle has been recalled in the past week following the passing of the Queen of England, Elizabeth II.
That’s because of the glowing tribute that the late monarch paid to the pioneering Lissycasey woman in highlighting her transformative work in South Africa where she spent most of her 50-year ministry.
It was Queen Elizabeth’s encouraging words that gave Sr Normoyle’s sterling work on behalf of the people of Missionvale in Port Elizabeth worldwide exposure when she spoke at length about the Clarewoman’s labour of love to improve the lives of her parishioners over many years.
It occurred on Christmas Day in 1995, when in her annual address was watched by up to nine million people in Britain and by many millions more around the world she made special mention of Sr Normoyle’s work in changing the lives of those living in Missionvale forever.
“It was during my visit to South Africa last March that I witnessed a glowing example of how the inspiration and energy of one person can benefit thousands of others,” she said in opening her speech before it cut to footage of the interaction between herself and Sr Normoyle at Missionvale.
“Your Majesty, you are so welcome, Thank You for coming,” said Sr Normoyle.
“It is so nice to come and see your work,” she responded.
“I’m Ethel, and I’m from Lissycasey in Ireland,” said Sr Normoyle.
The camera then cut back to Queen Elizabeth in Buckingham Palace as she elaborated on Sr Normoyle’s work. “Seven years ago Sr Ethel came to this township outside Port Elizabeth where she began teaching young children under the shade of a tree,” she said.
“Through her hard work and tenacity, she has now built a pre-school and a clinic. These provide the children and teenagers, who have missed out on formal education.
“Fruit and bread are distributed to 500 families in the township every day and through the gift of a piece of waste ground by the local council people are being taught to cultivate the land and grow their own vegetables,” she added.
This exposure helped in no small way to Sr Ethel, who had also been visited at Missionvale by Mother Teresa in 1998, and her fellow missionaries do even more on behalf of those living in Missional in the years that followed.
a commitment she continued right up until a couple of months before she passed away peacefully in Milford Care Centre in August 2021.
Her internationally acclaimed contribution to the Missionvale area began in 1988 when under the tree referenced by Queen Elizabeth she taught and played with little children, while at the same time tending to the sick.
With that, the first steps towards building the Missionvale Care Centre were taken. The first phase of the new centre was officially opened in 1992 and included a fully equipped clinic dedicated to helping those with HIV and AIDS, a nutrition unit, library and administrative offices.
Educated at Lissycasey NS, she entered the Convent of the Little Company of Mary in Limerick in 1963, making her final commitment to the order in 1971 before going to South Africa the following year.
She received many awards for her work at Missionvale — the Woman of the Year award in Port Elizabeth in 1989, the Tipperary International Peace Prize in 1996 when she followed in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela in receiving the honour, an honorary doctorate City of Port Elizabeth University in 2001, the Clare Person of the Year Award in 2006 and the Order of the Grand Counsellor of the Baobab in Silver in 2009 for her excellent service to society and caring for the vulnerable members of her community.
“There is something about the people of Missionvale and it is a joy to be amongst them,” she said when being honoured with her honorary doctorate in 2001.
“I suspect that Sr Ethel’s modesty and sense of humour prevent her from appreciating the full extent of her achievements,” said Queen Elizabeth in 1995 when singling out her work for special praise.
“I’m very thrilled, very glad and very proud that the Queen found time to come here,” said Sr Ethel after the famous visit. “She’s certainly a grace-filled woman. She said it was wonderful work and she encouraged us to keep it up,” she added.
Of her work, Sr Ethel, who became known as ‘South Africa’s Mother Teresa’ said, “it’s quite frightening. It’s certainly below human standards. It’s a matter of survival. Everything is a struggle. I try to bring the healing presence of Christ to the people”.