Obituary: Bro Gussie McCormack dedicated his life to God

Bro Augustine (Pat) McCormack MI, who died on Monday of last week, June 15, was just days short of his 95th birthday, and had notched up an incredible 71 years of religious life.

Known to all as ‘Gussie’, Bro Augustine’s time as a member of the Order of St Camillus was mainly spent in Killucan, but he was known far and wide, and esteemed as a dedicated nurse, and a devout adherent to and advocate of the church.

Born at Glen, between Edgeworthstown and Ardagh, Brother Augustine was 24 when he decided to answer the call to religious life, and he joined the Camillian order at Killucan.

Within a short time he was sent to London to train as a nurse at the Whittington Hospital, and he also nursed at the Camillian Order’s former nursing centre in Hexham, Northumberland, England.

In 1952, Bro Augustine returned to Ireland to complete his novitiate and he was professed a year later, on September 29, 1953.

He nursed for periods in both Killucan and Dublin until 1976, when he was transferred back to Killucan, a move that proved permanent, and he carried on nursing until his retirement four years ago at the age of 91.

Fr Frank Monks, Superior of the Order at Killucan, reveals that in the earlier decades of Bro Augustine’s career, the Camillian Order nurses acted in the role now fulfilled by the hospice nurses – and Brother Augustine would at times have travelled as far as 40 miles by bike to care for people in their own homes.

Brother Augustine took responsibility for managing the collection boxes for the Order of St Camillus that were left in shops around the country. He took a great interest in the families who agreed to display the donation boxes, sending cards to mark special occasions in their lives, and he greatly enjoyed his drives around the country to visit them and manage the boxes.

“He became something of a PR man for us!” Fr Monks remarks, adding that it had gone hard on Brother Augustine when, at 91, he had to give up driving.

Sadly, due to Covid, a man who should have had one of the largest funerals of any Camillian member had one of the smallest – but there was the honour of the attendance of both the present Bishop of Meath, Most Rev Thomas Deenihan, and the Bishop Emeritus of Meath, Most Rev Michael Smith – Bishop Deenihan at the removal and Bishop McCormack at the funeral.

Fr Monks celebrated the funeral Mass on Wednesday and Bro McCormack was buried in the adjoining cemetery.

Brother Augustine’s death occurred peacefully at the St Camillus Nursing Centre, in the loving care of his sister Teresa, the Nursing Centre staff and his religious community.

One of a large family, Brother Augustine was predeceased by his parents and nine siblings. He will be sorely missed by his beloved sister Teresa, his religious community, his nieces, nephews and a multitude of friends throughout the country.