The Funeral of Sister Teresa Hawkins took place in our School Chapel on Tuesday 22 March 2016. The Requiem Mass was celebrated by The Right Reverend Dom Cuthbert Brogan, OSB (Abbot of Farnborough Abbey), and concelebrated by Father Tony Sultana (Parish Priest, Our Lady and St Dominic), Father Brendan McGuinness SDB and Father Des O'Riordan SDB (from the Salesian Community) and Father Emanuel Rajan (Chaplain of Holy Cross Care Home, Heathfield).
Mrs Sarah Buckle, Sister Rosemary O'Looney, RCE and Dom Cuthbert paid heartfelt tribute to Sister Teresa. They talked of her humour; her long service and devotion to the Religious of Christian Education (76 years) and to Farnborough Hill (over 50 years); her kindness and compassion to all who met her; her skills in gardening, needlework and cookery; the joy of sharing a cup of tea and piece of cake with her; her holiness and her humanity. She was a dearly loved and treasured member of the Farnborough Hill community and she will be very much missed.
The Mass was attended by members of Sister Teresa's family, many RCE sisters, friends, old girls, former and current staff, Year 9 and 10 students and members of the community from the Holy Cross Care Home where she spent the last three years of her life. The ceremony was serene and was enhanced by the beautiful singing from the Senior Choir.
The committal took place in the nuns' cemetery in the grounds of the school. Year 9 and 10 students were a very impressive and respectful guard of honour outside the Chapel.
The sun shone and we feel sure that Sister Teresa would have been smiling down on us all. She is now back at Farnborough Hill, a place that she loved so much.