Edelweiss Mary Quinn, (14 September 1907 – 12 May 1944) known as Edel Quinn () was an Irish-born Roman Catholic lay-missionary and Envoy of the

Legion of Mary The Legion of Mary (, post-nominal letters, postnominal abbreviation L.O.M.) is an international association of members of the Catholic Church who serve on a Voluntary association, voluntary basis. It was founded in Dublin, as a Roman Catholic ...

to East Africa.

Life

Born in

Kanturk Kanturk () is a town in the north west of County Cork, Ireland. It is situated at the confluence of the Allua (Allow) and Dallow (Dalua) rivers, which stream further on as tributaries to the River Blackwater. It is about from Cork and Limeric ...

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

, Edel Mary Quinn was the eldest child of bank official Charles Quinn and Louisa Burke Browne of

County Clare County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...

. She was a great-granddaughter of William Quinn, a native of

County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. Its county town is Omagh. Adjoined to the south-west shore of Lough Neagh, the cou ...

who settled in

Tuam Tuam (; , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midland Region, Ireland, midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. The town is in a civil parishe ...

to build St. Mary's Cathedral. The spelling of her name was inspired by the

edelweiss ''Leontopodium nivale'', commonly called edelweiss () ( ; or ), is a mountain flower belonging to the daisy or sunflower family Asteraceae. The plant prefers rocky limestone places at about altitude. It is a non-toxic plant. Its leaves and f ...

flower. Her parents had intended to name her Adele but the priest who baptized her thought they meant to call her after the flower and baptized her Edelweiss, which was shortened to Edel. During her childhood, her father's career brought the family to various towns in Ireland, including Tralee, County Kerry, where a plaque was unveiled in May 2009 at Bank Of Ireland House in Denny Street commemorating her residence there between 1921 and 1924. Quinn attended the Presentation Convent in the town between 1921 and 1925. Quinn felt a call to religious life at a young age. She wished to join the

Poor Clares The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare (Latin language, Latin: ''Ordo Sanctae Clarae''), originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and also known as the Clarisses or Clarissines, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Or ...

but was prevented by advanced

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

.Peel OP, Henry. "The last days of Edel Quinn", Catholic Ireland, 30 November 1999
/ref> After spending eighteen months in a

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...

, her condition unchanged, she decided to become active in the

, which she joined in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

at age 20. She gave herself completely to its work in the form of helping the poor in the slums of Dublin. In 1936, at age 29 and dying of

, Quinn became a Legion of Mary Envoy, a very active missionary to East and Central Africa,"Venerable Edel Quinn", Legion of Mary
/ref> departing in December 1936 for

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

. Quinn settled in Nairobi having been told by Bishop Heffernan that this was the most convenient base for her work. By the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, she was working as far off as

Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (, ; from ) is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of the Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over 7 million people, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in East Africa by population and the ...

and

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

. In 1941, she was admitted to a sanatorium near Johannesburg. Fighting her illness, in seven and a half years she established hundreds of Legion branches and councils in today's

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

, and

. J.J. McCarthy, later

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Zanzibar Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small Island, islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island. ...

and Archbishop of Nairobi, wrote of her: * ''"Miss Quinn is an extraordinary individual; courageous, zealous and optimistic. She wanders around in a dilapidated Ford, having for sole companion an African driver. When she returns home she will be qualified to speak about the Missions and Missionaries, having really more experience than any single Missionary I know."'' All this time her health was never good, and in 1943 she took a turn for the worse, dying in

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

, Kenya of tuberculosis on 12 May 1944. She is buried there in the Missionaries' Cemetery.

Cause of beatification and canonization

The cause for her

beatification Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the p ...

was introduced in 1957. She was declared

venerable ''The Venerable'' often shortened to Venerable is a style, title, or epithet used in some Christianity, Christian churches. The title is often accorded to holy persons for their spiritual perfection and wisdom. Catholic In the Catholic Churc ...

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

on 15 December 1994, since when the campaign for her

has continued.

Notes

References

* ''Edel Quinn, Envoy of the Legion of Mary to Africa'', Cardinal Suenens, (1952). * ''The Tuam Journal'', 2007. * "Edel Quinn Commemoration" in ''Kerry Magazine'', Issue 20 (2010), p. 46. * "Edel Quinn's Kilmihil Connections" on pp. 95–6 of ''Parish of Kilmihil: Historical, Cultural & Sporting Achievements'' (2nd ed. 1987). * ''History of the O'Gradys of Clare and Limerick'', Gerard Madden, East Clare Heritage (2007), pp. 163–6. Another biography of Edel Quinn has been written by the Irish priest and historian Fr. Desmond Forristal.

External links

Center for the Promotion of Legion of Mary SaintsOfficial Web Site for the Legion of MaryLegion of Mary in UgandaEdel Quinn Spanish Web SiteQuinn family in 1901 census
(Edel's full name appears to be Edelweiss on th
manuscript return
mistranscribed as Edluariss.) {{DEFAULTSORT:Quinn, Edel People from County Cork 1907 births 1944 deaths Venerated Catholics by Pope John Paul II Irish Roman Catholic missionaries Female Roman Catholic missionaries 20th-century venerated Christians 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Kenya Roman Catholic missionaries in Tanzania Roman Catholic missionaries in Kenya Roman Catholic missionaries in Uganda Roman Catholic missionaries in Mauritius Roman Catholic missionaries in Malawi Irish expatriates in Kenya 20th-century Irish women