‘We must reach out to women in danger’

A PRIEST urged a community yesterday to honour a murdered mother’s memory by reaching out to women in danger.

Fr Gerard Galvin made his comments from the altar as hundreds of mourners attended the funeral Mass in Clonakilty for Rose Patterson, aged 30, a mother-of-three who was found stabbed to death in a flat in Clonakilty last Thursday.

She had suffered multiple stab wounds.

In his homily, Fr Galvin said people had been left shocked by the terrible tragedy and were asking what could they do.

“We can always ask ourselves if there are other women in our community who are in danger,” he said.

“And what can we do to help is to reach out to them so that they can get the help they may need.

“We can’t do it for Rose now but we can do it for someone else. And if we can, then I think that will be a real lasting tribute to Rose.”

Rose’s eldest daughter, Naomi, who had been looking forward to her First Holy Communion next month, watched in disbelief as her mother’s coffin was carried in to Clonakilty Parish Church. Her five-year-old sister, Veronica, walked beside her.

Rose’s youngest child, Farhan, aged 18 months, who was in the flat at the time she was killed, was being cared for by friends.

The two girls, who looked bewildered by the tragic events of the last few days, were held close by friends and relatives as Rose’s coffin was carried from O’Sullivan’s funeral home the short distance to the church.

Rose’s mother, Anne, who was walking with the help of a stick, was supported by friends.

Fr Galvin said people had come to say goodbye to Rose — “a rose, as everybody called her”.

His voice cracked with emotion as he recalled placing his hands on her head on March 20 last, for a blessing at the conclusion of Naomi’s baptism.

“Little did I think that the next time I would put my hand on Rose’s head would be last Thursday to give her the Last Rites,” he said.

“How could such a terrible thing happen here?

“We look at a young woman so cruelly taken from her family and friends. Three children left behind. How can we make sense of this? We can’t,” he said.

“We must now as a community decide if we will allow this terrible tragedy to slowly slip away from our memory.

“Or are we going to do something practical, which will in some small way fulfil the dreams and hopes which Rose had for herself and for her children?”

He described her as a wonderful mother who wanted to look after her children, do her best for them, to be loved and to be happy

Looking at Naomi and Veronica, Fr Galvin said: “She loved you so much, she loved you so much.”

Rose’s remains were carried from the church, as Naomi’s classmates from St Joseph’s Convent NS sang, and were taken for burial in nearby St Mary’s Cemetery.