Cork missionary awarded Zambia's highest honour by country's president

A Cork born nun who spent years of her life as a missionary in Africa has received Zambia’s highest honour from the country’s president in recognition of her work.

Sister Mary Lucey, a native of Rathcoole in north Cork and a UCC science and education graduate, taught in Dingle and Millstreet before heading to Zambia on the missions.

The Presentation Sisters nun used her education and scientific background to good effect while in Zambia to support the building of communities with different projects.

The medal, the President’s Insignia of Mercy, was presented at a ceremony in Lusaka on May 25, which is internationally recognised as Africa Day, by the country’s head of state, president Hakainde Hichilema. Sister Mary, who now resides in the Presentation Convent in Castleisland in Kerry, did not attend the ceremony herself and the medal was presented to two colleagues in the order on her behalf. It has recently arrived at the convent in Castleisland.

During her years in Zambia, Sister Mary undertook many projects in order to help people in Zambia.

“Life is not easy for many people not as privileged as we are,” she said.

At one time, she organised the transportation of two containers of goods, including bicycles, sewing machines and other useful items, from Ireland to her mission in Zambia. These enabled individuals and families to set up small businesses.

During famine times, she procured seeds which grew and provided food when the rains came.

At another time, her efforts helped achieve the building of a pre-school and her fund-raising efforts helped teachers to prepare the young children for primary school.

Now the Zambian government has opened pre-schools in most districts and the original pre-school building that Sister Mary helped to build, was converted into apartments to house two families.

As time went on, a model village was envisaged in which a family would live in a community, owning its own house and two acres of land and sharing a hand pump to supply clean water.

Another project in which she was involved was the building of a model village for up to eight families. Each family had to make 3,500 bricks from anthills, fire the bricks and then dry them out.

Fundraising efforts were undertaken in Sister Mary’s home in Cork to purchase a tractor and trailer and that effort successfully purchased the vehicles. The keys to the village were handed over in 2008 and, a few years later, a second village was built.