Papers of M. Raphael Deasy, Fifth General Superior I.B.V.M. (Irish Branch), 1918 – 1938

Context

Creator(s): M. Raphael Deasy, members of Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Irish Branch known as Loreto) & clergy

• Administrative History ↴

  M. Raphael Deasy was born in Clonakilty, Co. Cork on 25 April 1868 and was baptized Hannah. She spoke English and French. Received primary level education at Clonakilty Day School and completed second level education at Loreto Abbey Rathfarnham. She entered Loreto Abbey Rathfarnham as a postulant in October 1887, entered the novitiate on 15 May 1888 and was finally professed on 27 May 1890. She was appointed Local Superior in Wexford from 1900 and Headmistress of Loreto College, 53 St Stephen’s Green from 1912 – 1919. In 1919 she was elected Fifth General Superior, and was subsequently re-elected in 1931 and served in office until her death in 1935. She served a total of 16 years as General Superior. She died whilst on visitation at Bexhill-on-Sea on 22 July 1935. Her remains were brought back to Loreto Abbey Rathfarnham and interred in the community cemetery there. The first Irish Provincial had been appointed in 1913, although there is little reference to M. Raphael’s work in the Irish Province within this collection, biographies of M. Raphael indicated that the complete separation of these roles had not yet been fully realised. Many of the achievements credited to M. Raphael can be viewed as the expansion and enhancement of the Institute within the Irish Province. Amongst the achievements accredited to M. Raphael Deasy was the expansion of the educational apostolate in Ireland. In the aftermath of the establishment of the Irish Free State, Irish was introduced as the medium of instruction in Primary Schools. This was extended to secondary schools in Letterkenny, Killarney and St Stephen’s Green, Dublin. In 1928 Loreto also took responsibility for a Preparatory College in Falcarragh, Co. Donegal. She obtained permission for Sisters to attend University, opened a house in Paris for Loreto student nuns to study French and sent Sisters to Bonn in Germany during holidays to perfect their German. Fraulein Margarete Hermann was employed from Germany to establish a Froebel training college in Beaufort Day School. Within the schools network, the Loreto Games League, an Annual Inter-Schools Sports Day at Rathfarnham, the Loreto Debating Society and Loreto Examination System were all established. In December 1933, the Loreto Past Pupils’ Union held its first annual Union Day. Beaufort House, Rathfarnham was purchased in 1925 for a third level College of Domestic Science and extensions were built at Loreto Abbey Rathfarnham. Two new foundations were made in Ireland in 1930, the first two since 1881 – in Crumlin where a junior and secondary schools and a Commercial College were established, and a secondary school in Cavan. Expansion of the wider Institute continued with the establishment of a mission in Nairobi, Kenya in 1920 and new foundations established in South Africa. M. Raphael Deasy, like her predecessor, personally visited each province more than once during her terms in office. The expansion of missionary work on the African continent was complimented by the introduction of fundraising activities including the establishment of the Native Mission Fund, fundraising by pupils for the mission through the Loreto Native Mission League and publication of Loreto Mission Notes. In July 1931, the IBVM foundation in Omagh and its daughter house in Coleraine were reunited with the Generalate in Rathfarnham. The tensions and divisions wrought by the discussions on unification of the Institute which had arisen from 1900-c.1907 and dogged M. Michael Corcoran’s terms of office continued to be felt across the Institute. M. Raphael Deasy adamantly refused to allow discussion on these topics to develop and strongly resisted attempts by the Australian Province to do so. She aimed towards the re-establishment of peace and unity within both the Irish Province and across the Institute. Efforts to see the beatification of Mary Ward also continued across the Institute and M. Raphael approved provincial contributions towards beatification of Mary Ward. Constitutions which had been revised in 1928 were approved by the Institute and submitted for approval by the Sacred Congregation. The amended Constitutions were finally approved on 2 March 1937. Changes included the introduction of a 30 day retreat before first and final profession. In 1935 M. Raphael Deasy had purchased a house in Bexhill-on-Sea, England as a refuge for nuns from the Spanish province during the Spanish Civil War. In July 1935, whilst on visitation there, M. Raphael collapsed from a recurring illness, and survived an emergency operation by only a few days. She died there on 22 July 1935. Her remains were brought back to Ireland and were buried in the community cemetery in Loreto Abbey Rathfarnham.

• Archival History ↴

  The material in this sub-fonds was created by, or received by, M. Raphael Deasy during her period in office as General Superior of the Institute in Ireland.

• Immediate Source Acquisition ↴

  Official Transfer