Spotlight on Sister Louise Horgan, Good Shepherd Sisters
Sr Louise Horgan, a Good Shepherd Sister based in Bangkok, Thailand, will shortly celebrate her 90th birthday.
She has spent the past 57 years in Bangkok working tirelessly to help poor communities there, and particularly disadvantaged and vulnerable women and children.
Sr Louise was born in May 1934, and grew up near Templemartin, Co Cork. After her profession, she spent time training as a nurse in Dublin before joining the missions.
Joining the missions
Her journey of faith and service then took her to Sri Lanka, where she spent seven years, before being sent to Bangkok to be part of Good Shepherd's first mission in Thailand.
Her colleagues in those early days in Thailand in the 1960s included fellow Irish Sisters, Sr Leila Begin, Sr Kevin McDonald and Sr Bernard Walsh, all of whom spent many years in Thailand.
Breaking the cycle of poverty
In 1978, Sr Louise founded the Fatima Self Help Centre in Bangkok, dedicated to helping women and girls break out of the cycle of poverty by learning skills such as sewing and dressmaking through which they can secure livelihoods for themselves and their children.
Over the four-and-a-half decades since then, the Fatima Centre’s work has expanded, and the range of services and programmes that it offers under Sr Louise’s leadership now includes a pre-school for children from the slums, adult education and skills training, a live-in programme for 'at-risk' teenage girls, school sponsorship, and an education programme for refugees.
Empowering women and girls
"While Bangkok is increasingly a prosperous and modern city, there are groups and individuals who continue to be left behind, or fall between the cracks, so the need is there, and we feel we must respond," she explains.
"Our approach is to empower these women and girls, and provide education to the young children, so that they can achieve more of their potential and live lives of dignity. I feel we are so lucky to have such a great team of lay staff and volunteers who are willing to share their expertise and experience for the benefit of others and who share our vision.”
Strong network of support
Sr. Louise also says she feels blessed that there is a strong network of support for the Centre and its programmes in Thailand, in Europe and worldwide.
"We are so grateful to those who visit the Centre or the online shop, purchase the products made by the trainees, or just make a donation. Our supporters all over the world are doing so much to help people out of poverty and vulnerability, and improve lives," she says.
The work of the Centre has also been supported by grants from Mission Cara and the Irish Embassy in Bangkok.
Presidential Distinguished Service Award
In 2021, Sr. Louise was recognised for her contribution by the Irish State when she was awarded the Presidential Distinguished Service Award by President Michael D Higgins.
With characteristic modesty, Sr Louise said she considered this as a tribute to the Sisters who had worked before and alongside her and to all of the congregation members and staff in Bangkok.
Those interested in learning more can find more details at Projects – Good Shepherd Sisters Thailand (goodshepherdthailand.org)