'A light in the darkness': Offaly aid worker pays tribute to Sr Stan

Self Help Africa's Ronan Scully, a native of Clara, has paid an emotional tribute to the late Sr Stanislaus Kennedy in a letter to the Editor published in this week's Tullamore Tribune.

The letter reads as follows:

Dear Editor,

It is with deep sorrow and profound gratitude that I write to honour Sister Stanislaus Kennedy or Sr Stan as she is better known, who went home to God at the age of 86. Few lives are lived with such courage, compassion, and steadfast faith. Her passing leaves a void, yet her light continues to inspire us to love more deeply, act more boldly, and hope more faithfully.

Sr Stan was fearless. She spoke truth to power and tirelessly advocated for those society too often forgets, the homeless, the marginalised, the lonely, the voiceless. She confronted injustice not with anger, but with unwavering love, prayer, and integrity. She understood that faith is not merely belief, but action. As Saint James reminds us: “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). She lived this truth daily, showing that God’s love moves through ordinary hearts willing to risk compassion, persistence, and courage.

A Sister of Charity, Sr Stan dedicated her life to serving those on the margins. In 1985, she founded Focus Point, now Focus Ireland, to support those experiencing homelessness and through the Immigrant Council of Ireland, and through The Sanctuary on Stanhope Street, she transformed faith into action. She understood homelessness not just as a social problem, but as a spiritual wound—a forgetting of the sacredness of each human life. Through her tireless advocacy, she gave a voice to the marginalized, rejoiced in every life restored, and ensured her programs would endure for generations.

Her presence was transformative. I recall visiting a small hostel where she knelt beside a young mother, whispering encouragement to a child trembling with fear. That child smiled for the first time in weeks. I remember a father, exhausted and hopeless, whose tears she held with her own hands, reminding him that he was not invisible, that his life mattered. These small, intimate moments were the measure of her ministry. She lived the Gospel: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). Every life she touched reflected God’s love.

Even as her body aged, her spirit remained radiant. She celebrated the resilience of those she served as a mother celebrates her children, rejoicing in their courage, strength, and perseverance. Her life exemplified the prophet Micah’s words: “What does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). Few have embodied these words as fully and faithfully as she did.

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Her writings, Seasons of Hope and Gratitude: Unlocking the Fullness of Life, mirror her life, faith grown in struggle, hope nurtured through service, and love made tangible through action. She inspired volunteers, social innovators, and ordinary citizens to act with courage and compassion, ensuring that her work will continue to bear fruit long into the future.

Sr Stan’s passing is not merely a loss, but a call. To honour her is to stand with the marginalised, lift the voices of the voiceless, and bring hope where despair has taken root. Let us pray: God of mercy, we thank You for Sr Stan Kennedy, whose heart beat for the most vulnerable. May her courage, vision, and tireless advocacy continue to inspire us, and may her work bear fruit in every life touched. Amen.

Her journey on earth may have ended, but her spirit lives on, in every home built, every person welcomed, every act of kindness done in her name. “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Sr Stan’s light shone brightly. May we, in our own small ways, keep it burning.

Sr Stan’s legacy is one of presence, with the poor, the lonely, the homeless, the immigrant and the searching, and a call to each of us to live with empathy and courage.

May her life continue to inspire us to see Christ in every person we meet. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

Yours Faithfully,

Ronan Scully,

Charlestown,

Clara

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