Sister Mary Cecilia Cruickshank, MM

Born: March 18, 1893
Entered: September 9, 1920
Died: May 13, 1969

A telephone call from Sister Mary Rosalia, from Hong Kong brought us news of Sister Mary Cecilia Cruickshank’s death on May 13. Sister had always cherished a hope of dying on the missions, and her wish came true! At 8:30 in the morning of May 13, while teaching her class in the Business School, she became ill.  Within a short time, the parish priest, Father Daviddi, gave Sister the Sacrament of the Sick, she was conscious and aware of what was happening at the time. Sister was admitted to Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital and died there very peacefully at 10:00 p.m. Sister Mary Rosalia wrote that “Sister literally breathed her last breath in peace and in God.”

Sister Mary Cecilia, (Margaret Mary Cruickshank) was born in Toronto, Canada, March 18, 1893. After high school, Sister received excellent business training at Central Business College, Toronto. This proved to be a special preparation for her future mission apostolate as the outstanding teacher of “business” to the young women of Hong Kong.

She entered Maryknoll, September 9, 1920, and was professed August 4, 1922. At this time she received her assignment to Hong Kong and arrived at her mission September 12, 1922. In the 1930’s Sister did promotion work for our Sisters in Hong Kong and later worked in the Maryknoll Fathers’ offices. She returned to Hong Kong in 1947 to resume her commercial school classes, which prepared her pupils for the best secritarial positions in Hong Kong. Sister loved her work, and took a special interest in the girls who had completed the course in business school and who were working in the city. She was their counselor and friend and made herself available one evening a week to help and advise them in their problems. She saw this as her real apostolate.

Sister Mary Cecilia’ s requiem Mass and burial were in Hong Kong on Ascension Thursday, at 2:00 P.M.