Diocesan Newsletter

We Remember Sr Brenda Moss rsm

1 June 1943 – 24 July 2024

Sisters of Mercy, family members, nursing colleagues and friends gathered with Bishop Michael McCarthy and Fr Alex Varghese in Our Lady of Good Counsel Chapel, The Range, on Friday 2 August 2024 to honour the faith-filled and courageous life of Sister Brenda Moss who died after a very short illness in the Fitzroy Community Hospice on 24 July 2024.

The eldest child of Harry and Ivy Moss, Brenda was born in Gateshead, a sea-side, industrial town in the north of England. World War II was raging and her dad was in the British Navy. Poor conditions in post-war England prompted Mrs Moss to move to Australia. Sailing on the Oriana, she and Brenda arrived in Fremantle on 1 June 1946, Brenda’s third birthday. They settled in Mackay; Mr Moss followed and later, two more children were born, Rhonda and John. Brenda loved each member of her small family. She keenly felt the death of her younger sister, Rhonda, in 1975, followed closely with the death of her mum that same year, then her dad’s death in 1990. Brenda was always grateful for the love and support of her younger brother, John, and his wife, Lorraine, who became like a sister to Brenda. Brenda treasured her nephews Brad and Lyle, together with their partners, Mihaela and Belinda respectively.

While attending West Mackay State School as a very young pupil, Brenda took speech lessons, after school, from Sr M Marcella at the West Mackay Convent. By coincidence, Sr M Marcella was also born in Gateshead and so a very special connection developed between them. Encouraged to move to the nearby St Francis’ Xavier Catholic School, Brenda was baptized into the Catholic faith in April 1952 and gradually all the family became Catholics. It was Sr M Marcella who fostered Brenda’s desire to become a Catholic and later, a Sister of Mercy. Sr M Marcella was well-known for her polished, precise, and distinctive manner of speaking – she taught Brenda well! For many reasons, Brenda was always grateful for the gift of Sr M Marcella in her life.

Brenda was extremely proud of her British heritage; she loved all things British – the Royal Family, the unfurled Union Jack, Land of Hope and Glory, a night at the Proms, the tennis from Wimbledon and cups of tea. In 2004, Brenda re-visited Gateshead; this was a ‘homecoming’ for Brenda which gave her an appreciation for the courageous and life-changing decision her mum made, to move to Australia. Brenda’s admiration for her mother never dimmed. Often, Brenda told stories of her mum’s kindness to those in need, a listening ear, using her sewing and cooking skills and giving from the little she had, even providing hot meals and cake tins filled to the brim for the Sisters teaching at West Mackay. Some years ago, Brenda penned ‘An ode to my mother’ written in the style of the Book of Proverbs. It begins: ‘A valiant, faithful woman, who can find her? I can, because she is my mother.’ After extolling the virtues of her mum, Brenda concluded the ode with these words: ‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all – because you were my mother, and you showed us the way.’

In early 1960, Brenda began her General Nursing training at the Mackay Mater Hospital then entered the Rockhampton Sisters of Mercy on 23 January 1963. Received on 3 November 1963, Brenda was professed on 6 November 1965 with Sisters Anne Slattery, Marie Riddel and Desma Clarke, choosing the motto: Lord thy will be done. In our hospitals (Rockhampton 1964, 1968-69, 1977-86, 1988-92, 1994; Bundaberg 1965-67, 1970-73) and Home Nursing Service (Mackay 1974-76), Brenda filled many roles with dedicated reliability and efficiency but her passion was Obstetrics and Neonatal Care, particularly at the Rockhampton Mater Hospital Maternity Unit. This special interest motivated Brenda to volunteer with the Australian Mercy Mission in Pakistan from 1995 to 1997 where she assisted with and ensured the survival of impoverished mothers and babies in very primitive conditions. Though challenging for Brenda, she truly felt she was doing Catherine McAuley’s work, centred in the Heart of Mercy. When Brenda came to McAuley Place and The Range Village in the role of Pastoral Carer; as she cared for residents who had lived long and fulfilling lives, she reflected that she had worked full circle in her nursing career (2000-2016).

Brenda had an eye for quality and only the best would do! She took pride in her appearance, always dressing well with a sense of occasion. Her crochet and knitting skills were perfection and she would let us know if ours were below standard! She didn’t need to speak words of disapproval on any matter, the look on Brenda’s face was enough! Though small in stature and seemingly demure, Brenda was ‘no pushover’! She had a steely determination and somehow or other, always managed to get what she wanted, when she wanted it – within reason, of course!

On the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2015, Brenda declared that she would not want to change anything in her life, stating ‘All things happen for a reason, even though we may not understand at the time.’ In recent months, Brenda’s self-awareness deepened as she opened herself to that Divine gift which we often name as ‘Grace’. ‘Grace’ is that unexplainable goodness which permeates our daily life; it is an intrinsic part of human experience which is wrapped in the everyday. It was Brenda’s response to ‘Grace’ that enabled her to recognize and understand the ebb and flow of her own weakened humanity, particularly in recent weeks. It is our certain hope, that Brenda has completed her journey to that place of transformation, promised to her at Baptism, where she now sees her God, face to face. May Brenda, who nurtured new life, now rest in peace in the company of those she loved who have preceded her in death.