LAST UPDATE | 3 Nov

SISTER STANISLAUS KENNEDY, a longtime campaigner for the poor, the homeless and immigrants, has died aged 86.

Better known as Sister Stan, she founded what’s now Focus Ireland following her research into the needs of women experiencing homelessness in Dublin in the 1980s.

In 1998, she established ‘The Sanctuary’, a centre for meditation and spiritual reflection, on Stanhope Street in Dublin. She also set up the Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI) in 2001.

Sr Stan passed away this morning at the St Francis Hospice in Blanchardstown, Dublin.

A statement from the Religious Sisters of Charity paid tribute to Sister Stan for her tireless work.

“Sr Stan was a powerful voice for compassion, equality, and systemic change throughout her life,” the group said.

Born Treasa Kennedy on 19 June 1939 near Lispole, on the Dingle Peninsula in Co Kerry, Sister Stan decided to become a sister and was professed in January 1960.

From 1995 until 2007, Sr Stan was a member of the Religious Sisters of Charity’s General Leadership Team, a role that placed her at the heart of the Congregation’s global mission and governance. She also helped to develop social services in Kilkenny.

“We give thanks for Sr Stan’s life, her vision, and her unwavering commitment to justice and compassion,” the Religious Sisters of Charity said.

“She was a leading advocate and activist for change, working tirelessly to support the homeless, immigrants, and those in disadvantaged communities throughout Ireland and beyond.

“Throughout her life, Sr Stan was a courageous force for social change. She challenged the status quo and consistently voiced her informed views to influence policy and promote justice.”

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdam will open a book of condolence at the Mansion House for Sr Stan. It will be open on 4 and 5 November from 10am to 4pm on both days.  

Dublin City Council held a minute’s silence at its monthly meeting this evening in remembrance of Sr Stan. 

“Sister Stan’s legacy is a reminder that the true measure of a city is how it cares for its most vulnerable. Her lifetime of service encourages all to work together,” McAdam said. 

“There are not many people in Irish society who are instantly recognisable by one name, but then again there are not many people as popular as Sister Stan was.”

Sr Stan received an honorary doctorate from DCU in 2017. Sam Boal Sam Boal

Focus Ireland said Sr Stan was “a visionary, a tireless advocate, and a compassionate force for change whose legacy will forever shape the heart, soul, and values of Focus Ireland”.

ICI CEO Teresa Buczkowska said Sr Stan was pivotal to the success of the organisation. 

“She helped us and guided us in more ways than we can describe. As a migrant woman myself, I am immensely proud to continue her legacy through the work of the Immigrant Council, but we will miss her guidance, courage, and strength. I will miss her.’

‘A spine of tempered steel’ 

President Michael D Higgins said Sr Stan was “a deeply committed campaigner for the vulnerable and marginalised in our society, and a fearless advocate for human rights and equality”.

“Telling the truth of inequality required a woman of immense courage and vision. She was that,” he said. 

“Sister Stan’s contribution to Irish society is profound,” Higgins said, adding that “she will be greatly missed as an iconic figure on social justice and care”.

Tánaiste Simon Harris said Sr Stan was “a formidable force in public life” who made “an immeasurable impact on Irish society”. 

“She devoted her life to tirelessly advocating on behalf of the most vulnerable people in Irish society,” he said. 

Harris said he found it “inspirational” when he met Sr Stan to discuss housing and “she continued to display all the same passion and determination as she had for all of her long years of service to those in need, and most particularly women”.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said Sr Stan’s passing was “a huge loss”.

McDonald said Sr Stan s”tood on the side of those who are left out and left behind”.

“She was gentle and she was steely, completely driven by her belief that homelessness is an injustice and that everyone deserves a safe and secure home. She spoke truth to power by challenging successive governments for their housing failures and advocated for policies focused on the housing needs of ordinary people.”

Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said he was deeply saddened by the news of her death.

“As a former employee I saw first hand the enormous difference she and Focus made to the lives of thousands,” he said in a post on X. 

Former president Mary McAleese described her as “the best of the best” and said she had left a lasting legacy behind her. 

“She was a person of hope,” McAleese told RTÉ Radio this morning. 

She said Sr Stan had “a spine of tempered steel” in the face of criticism of her work, particularly from former Taoiseach Charles Haughey. 

Denise Charlton, chief executive of the Community Foundation, which worked alongside organisations founded by Sr Stan, said:

“As a visionary Sr Stan often took pioneering approaches to respond to both long-standing and emerging challenges facing people and communities across the country.”

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin described Sr Stan as “intellectually, extraordinarily sharp” and someone who – despite her achievements – remain “the caring, simple woman that she was”.

The Chair of the Church of Ireland’s Church and Society Commission, Archbishop Michael Jackson, said Kennedy’s ability “to see the humanity in all people and to spot inequity in Irish society and, most importantly, work to address it at the highest level was an inspiration to many”.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said Sr Stan was “a great friend” and “a beacon of light for those marginalised by formal State structures”.

The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) called Sr Stan “a champion for social justice (and) a powerful advocate for the dignity of people experiencing homelessness in Ireland”.

With reporting from David Mac Redmond