Pray with Us

Intention

Tá brón orm’. There is sadness upon me in this Dublin capital, rain soaked city, the night before the morrow’s funeral, in Perth, Australia of my Aunt, Sr. Petrus Enright. Petrus to the SJOG order. Auntie Bessie to me for all my life long growing years. The name Petrus signifies stability and leadership, as in “the rock” upon which the church is built. Petrus was christened Elizabeth Enright in 1935. Elizabeth Nic Ionnrachtaigh. Bessie lived up to her name. Elizabeth means “pledged to God”. It is a deeply traditional, biblical name and she followed the calling of her name. Enright means daughter of the son of Ionnrachtach. Bessie was the first born daughter of her adoring father Matt Enright, who held her before the picture of the Sacred Cross and vowed to give Bessie back to God if he saved her sickly six year old body. Ten years later, aged just 16 years, much to her dearest mother Margaret’s protestations that she was but ‘a mere child’, Bessie, ever cool, calm and collected, took her leave from the Cross, Asdee, North Co. Kerry and her 4 siblings; big brother Tom and three sisters, Bridie, Patsy and Kathleen. The braveheart that she was, first she became a Postulant, then a Novice, before setting sail to Australia, aged just 20 years to Profess her Vows. She settled assured of committing herself to the love of Christ and the calling to live the life of the church amongst communities worldwide that only ever asked of her, to be at one with them in the name of love. Bessie did love. Loads of Gra. She oozed it. Growing up around her, she radiated a presense that without fanfare, signalled a special grace that drew you in. Bessie carried herself with a quiet inner power of Kerry pride and blessed all with her gentle kindness mixed with a steely ambitious authority to do right by all and have all done right, ‘just so’, as she’d wink at me. Petrus lived to 90 years. She celebrated her 70th year Profession as a Sister, a St. John of God nun, who saw, lived and loved life to the full. I was first pictured not yet a year old, diffidently standing, beaming, wide eyed, wearing Bessie’s beads around my neck. Aside from my parents wedding bands, Bessie’s ring was the first to capture my imagination. She did not have a husband she explained, but was married to the love of her life, to my childlike image of Holy God up in heaven. In my youth Bessie always had a hold and a sense of herself. She was tall and reassured me to walk head and heart up with ancestral pride. She was aware and compassion flowed. Bessie lived in the now. Mindful of others but a resolved mindfulness of self. She was nostalgic for past but could focus and zoom in on the happenings of the future. She was articulate, intelligent and tuned in to the needs and wants of others under her watch. Attention to detail but God, Family, Friends came first. Pride in the name Kerry, her neices and nephews, her country of Ireland and adopted homeland of Australia. She touched lives from birth to death. She came from a long line of teachers gifting lessons before their time, but to me she was a forward thinking woman with questions. She struck me as a woman who proudly stuck out. I viewed her as a warrior of sorts. First memories where visits made in full habit and veil. Then the veil disappeared and I admired her legs. ‘Auntie you’ve got pins’, I announced and oh how she laughed! The day she walked through the arrivals hall at Dublin Airport sporting trousers with shades on, my heart swelled and so, though just a girl, she explained all the answers to my pent up teenage queries. ‘God gave me free will Victoria. I have choice. Remember that in everything you do. Discern. Choose. Give it your all. Your daily very best. God is watching’. And then the power of pause as her worldly views processed and filtered, her language landing and words lingering still. ‘Attention to Intention Victoria. To thyne own self be true’. Though Bessie had no ego, she was fearless and the first with her hand up to the male Professors in Universities, challenging, insisting ‘repeat please’, until the lesson had gone in. Bessie gave and received with opens arms and a beautiful smiling face. It was so easy to shower her with love. She spoke of the legacy of love she was born into. Tribal. Asdee. The Cross. She was a Storyteller of the lands from Down Under and gifted Opals in every colour. Throughout her travels she knew her journey was to the final destination of heaven. As she aged and had to manage medical symptoms of her condition, at her core, she was steadfast and rooted in love for her God, Faith, Family, County and Countries. GA mad, Kerry daring to lose a match would truly make her mad! ‘Sure, it’s only a game Bessie’, Tom my Dad would calmly poke, and then just like that, the spark and a glimmer of a fight! Bessie had an IQ of head, the EQ of heart and the GQ of guts for gentle glory. Bessie did not chase pleasure and lived with pain. A Catholic, she was Spiritual but it was her spirit that will live long in my memory. She knew joy and lived in quiet dignity. No matter the trains, planes, automobiles, every arrival and departure lounge brought tears as she traversed between the homeland of her birth and Australia the country where she found her fit, her tribe of belonging but oh! long lived the longing for her kit n’ kin from Craughdarrig. In Bessie’s final chapter she had peace and purpose to be exactly who she was and where she was in life. She knew she was leaving but was returning to eternal love. There is only now a curtain between her and paradise. Bessie now belongs to the world of no place or time. Her ordinary is now extraordinary. The matter of her fact was that she mattered to us all hugely. Tom, Stella, Michael, Timothy, Victoria, Elizabeth, Sean, Matthew, Maxine, Isabel, Hannah, Rachel, even Shandy our dog! She impacted all of our Enright lives. Sr. Petrus Enright, you were a woman of substance, purpose, strength, meaning and pride. You flew your flag high, Kerry being your touchstone pebble but it was all of beautiful you Bessie, you being your own most gorgeous ripple. May the lighthouse of Bessie’s being, shine bright in our hearts as we kiss a final pogue, trusting in her belief, that beyond, as above, so below, we rekindle our fire and live on. Rest in Peace my beloved Aunt. You did so much good and were truly great. Though miles between us, I will be forever proud to bear witness to the story of you and will honour your memory by being a Nic Ionnrachtaigh to my very end. Always love Auntie. God Bless xX Victoria Enright, Dublin, Ireland
27th January 2026