Special rose honours memory of Our Lady of Fatima staff member
The Fatima Rose was propogated in honour Sr Catherina Dunne, who passed away in 2022.
OUR Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School recently honoured the memory of Sr Catherina Dunne, who passed away in 2022, with a rose in her honour.
Sr Catherina taught various junior classes, as well as Latin and biology, in the senior school, and was loved and respected by learners and staff.
In honour of her memory, the school recently started selling the Fatima Rose, which was propagated over a period of two years.
The Fatima Rose, which is on sale at Ludwig Nurseries, is unique with its own colour and smell, and also coincided with the school’s recent Founders Day celebration on August 3.
Meagan Ward, marketing manager at the school, explained how the propagation came about.
“The Our Lady of Fatima Rose has been named to commemorate the Platinum celebrations of the school and to honour Sr Catherina, a long-serving Dominican sister at our school. The subtle fragrance represents her quiet demeanor – everpresent but never overbearing, and the gentle colours were selected to represent what Sr Catherina loved. They also represent the new life that each academic year brought and the beautiful South African sunrises over the Indian ocean.”
Sr Dominique Bernon Ordo Prædicatorum (OP), who worked with and knew Sr Catherina, said the gesture to plant the rose in her honour outside the school was a fitting one.
“Sr Catherina loved the garden. It was one of her absolute favourites places to be in. I can remember her getting a cutting of a little pink creeping rose and her planting it on the school premises. It now blooms across the two houses at the back of the school. There couldn’t be a more fitting tribute to her. She could tell you the names of the trees, flowers and birds; the garden was her happy place. I do feel that when the roses bloomed, the entrance to the school was just beautiful. To be able to say it’s in memory of her is simply beautiful; it is very special.”
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