Sr Anne Murphy SHCJ RIP

Sr Anne Murphy SHCJ

Anne Murphy SHCJ - 28 April 1932 - 25 December 2022

The Society of the Holy Child Jesus announces the death of Sister Anne Murphy, formerly headmistress of St Leonards-Mayfield School and lecturer at Heythrop College. Anne was a distinguished educator whose life was rooted in her respect and reverence for others; she was genuinely interested in her students and colleagues and shared her own knowledge and experience generously.

Anne was the first child of Irish parents, born in London, where her father was a GP. When war broke out in 1939 the family was on holiday with relatives in Cork and it was decided that the children would remain there whilst their parents returned to London. In 1944 when Anne and her younger sister, Margaret, who is also a Holy Child sister, came back to London, they were sent as boarders to the Holy Child Convent School at Mayfield, East Sussex, where Anne distinguished herself and became head girl.

Anne spent a year at the Guildhall School of Music and took a history degree at Westfield College, University of London, before entering the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. After several years teaching at Mayfield, she spent an academic year at Corpus Christi College, where her thinking about and enthusiasm for theological and spiritual matters were greatly enhanced. Teaching at Layton Hill Convent School in Blackpool, she shared her enthusiasm with the students, her approach to RE being creative and extremely influential. But she soon returned to study, taking an MA in theology at King's College, London. After this, she spent nine years as headmistress at Mayfield, the school flourishing under her leadership.

In 1980 she went to Rome, taking a doctorate in theology at the Gregorian University. The subject of her thesis was St Thomas More about whom she later published a book.

Back in London she spent the next twenty years lecturing at Heythrop College, University of London, where she was well regarded and valued by students and staff. Retiring in 2004, she moved to Oxford where she taught theology part-time at Blackfriars until 2013.

Anne enjoyed some years of retirement in Oxford before developing a debilitating condition; as the symptoms worsened her life became extremely restricted and she gradually lost even the ability to speak. However influential Anne had been as a teacher and lecturer, the courage and resilience with which she faced her physical decline were even more impressive.

She died, as seemed fitting, on Christmas Day at the Holy Child care home, Apley Grange, in Harrogate. May she rest in peace.