Sister Matthew Kinsella

One of the last nuns to leave a Solihull convent which is set to be demolished has been found a home next to the site.
Sister Matthew Kinsella, aged 65, is moving from the Servite Convent in St Bernard’s Road, Olton, into a sheltered housing scheme in the same road.
"The convent has been sold for housing and I am one of the last nuns here. It will be sad to move out but I will be looking out onto the grounds," said Sister Matthew, who has been a nun for 44 years and uses a wheelchair.
Co-incidentally the scheme she is moving to is managed by social housing specialists Servite Houses.
"We have always had links with the convent due to our location so were happy to offer Sister Matthew a new flat so that she can be near the site of her former home," said scheme manager Annette Morrison.
The closure of the convent, which has been in existence for more than 100 years, was announced earlier in the year.
The news was revealed by the order's provincial in a letter sent to Olton Friary and organisations linked with the convent.
Roman Catholic nuns have been based at the convent since 1903.
Sister Rachel O’Riordan, the Servite Sisters’ provincial based in Dorking, Surrey, said the closure was in part due to the dwindling number of nuns in the order.
She said: "As a group we are predominantly older. Consequently there are fewer sisters available to live in and to manage our larger convents. Much of the vital energy which is needed for our mission and ministry is being channelled into the administration of large unwieldy properties, and this coupled with the financial constraints and the demands of almost daily maintenance makes our selling of the property at Olton the only sensible option."
Sister Rachel added that it was essential if the order was to be able to look after its ageing members.
She said: "A careful stewardship and a prudent use of our resources will permit us to continue meeting our responsibilities especially those to our sick and ailing sisters."