Sr Helen trained as a social worker and play therapist. She has embarked on a varied career which has seen her touch the lives of many people. Her first major posting was with the HSE where for 13 years she worked in child protection and child psychiatry. Helen also worked in Milford Hospice for 7 years with the terminally ill and bereaved.

It was Sr Helen’s experiences in the hospice that brought her to where she is today, as the project Leader behind Limerick city’s Children’s Grief Project. With the help of a group of dedicated professionals the project opened its doors in September 2009.

Helen was guided by the wise words of the Mercy founder, Catherine McAuley – ”Put your whole confidence in God and you will never want”.

The Project is a support service for school aged children and young adults who have been affected by loss through death, separation or divorce. The Project to date has been financed by the Mercy congregation.

It is an achievement very close to Sr Helen’s heart and reflective of her mission in life: “I really believe that what we are doing now is preventative work, so that children won’t grow up carrying the baggage of their childhood.