Sr Sheila’s Brazil links
SISTER Sheila Lenehan was born in Sandyford, Dublin in 1943 and trained as a nurse after joining MMM in 1961.
In 1970, she was one of the first two MMMs assigned to Brazil and did her midwifery training there. During the next 14 years Sheila worked in São Paulo in parish clinics, did pastoral work, guided women in their early years in MMM and served in local MMM leadership.
In 1985 she was elected to MMM Congregational leadership for 6 years.
In 1992 she returned to Brazil. Over the next 11 years Sister Sheila again served in a number of ministries in São Paulo.
She was a nurse in a project for people with AIDS, did pastoral health care, and was involved in MMM formation and leadership.
In 2003 she moved to Capim Grosso, where she worked in community health.
She developed projects to provide water for farmers, income generation for women and complementary medicine.
Sister Sheila returned to Ireland in 2015 for health reasons and was assigned to the Motherhouse.
After a long illness she moved for further care to Our Lady’s Hospice in Harolds Cross, Dublin.
She died there on 26 July 2018.