November 18, 1940 – April 24, 2026
Peter James Henry and Eileen Thomas welcomed a precious baby girl on November 18, 1940, in Happy Hill, St. George. She had four siblings two of them are now deceased. She was baptized on December 23, 1940.
At baptism she received the names Cecilia Christine Henry. She stayed with her grandmother in Grenada while her parents migrated to Trinidad. Later on, as a teenager she migrated to Trinidad to join her parents. She was also a citizen of Barbados and Trinidad.
On August 22, 1966, she left Trinidad to enter the convent in Barbados. On August 12, 1967, she received the veil as a novice.
She made first vows while in Barbados on August 12, 1969. At first vows she was named Sr. Mary Cecilia Christine Henry of the Most Pure Heart of Mary. Her feast day was celebrated on the Feast of Christ the King as she bore the name Christ in Christine. A name she was very proud of.
She celebrated her silver jubilee on September 18, 1994, and golden jubilee on August 11, 2019.
She received her primary school education from St. Louis Girls’ RC in Grenada and secondary education at St. Joseph’s Convent, St. George.
She went on to further studies to gain knowledge and skills to show greater care and compassion to the people of God and to teach others to do the same.
Her heart led her to Nursing Education and she served with passion.
Her nursing education:
Licensed midwife: St. John’s Nursing School. Oklahoma, USA.
Certificate in Nursing Education, Bachelor of Science Degree Uin Nursing at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica.
Certificate in Religious Formation at St. Louis University in Missouri.
Sr. Mary Christine served with much love, joy and compassion in the following ministries. She was a beacon of light and hope for others.
August 1966 – 1980: St. Joseph’s Hospital in Barbados as a Nurse mid-wife.
December 1971 served on the General Nursing Council, Barbados.
April 1976 – March 1980: Assistant Area Superior in the Caribbean.
March 1980 – January 1984: Area Superior in the Caribbean.
March 1980 – January 1984: Nurse at Villa St. Joseph Hospital, Barbados.
September 1987 – July 1988 Midwifery Tutor at Mona Campus University Hospital.
July 1988 – January 2002: Midwifery tutor at St. George School of Nursing, Grenada.
July 1993 – June 1997: Councillor on the Provincial Council for the US/Caribbean area.
March 1999 – February 2002: Novice Director and Vocation Counsillor in the Caribbean.
February 2002 – May 2003: Postulant Director in the Novitiate House in Mequon Wisconsin, USA.
May 2003 – January 2005: Postulant Director at the Formation House in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia.
January 2005 – December 2005: lived at the SSM Convent in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, USA while on sabbatical.
January 2006 – September 2012: Reflexologist, cook and housekeeper at the Franciscan Institute for Personal and Family Development in St. Lucia.
March 2007 to January 2012: Reflexologist and Nurse Educator at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in St. Lucia.
January 2012 – December 2013: Postulant Director in the Novitiate House in Trinidad.
She was also the delegate at the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother General assembly in Brazil in 1992 and in Wisconsin, USA in 2013.
Sr. Christine had dementia but was always present for community prayer. There was a drastic decline in her health at the beginning of April 2026. She was hospitalized with a blood clot resting on her brain. She undergone surgery to remove the blood cloth. Eight days after, on April 24, 2026, she returned to her Creator.
Funeral mass to celebrate her life was held on May 14th, 2026, at St. Peter’s R.C. Church, Gouyave, St. John, Grenada. She was laid to rest in the sister’s private plot at the Douglaston cemetery, Gouyave, St. John.
We give thanks to God for the beautiful and fruitful life of Sr. Mary Christine Henry—a woman of faith, compassion, dedication, and service. Through her vocation as a Sister of the Sorrowful Mother and her ministry as a midwife and nursing educator, she touched countless lives throughout the Caribbean and beyond.
Sr. Christine’s hands welcomed new life into the world, but even more than that, her heart brought comfort, dignity, hope, and care to so many families. As a midwife, she served with professional excellence and deep compassion. As a nursing educator, she formed and mentored generations of nurses and healthcare workers, passing on not only knowledge and skills, but also the values of respect, kindness, patience, and human dignity.
Her legacy lives on in the many nurses, midwives, mothers, families, students, and communities she served. Every life she touched carries something of her spirit. Her life reminds us that healthcare is not simply a profession—it is a ministry of healing, compassion, and presence.
May her witness continue to speak to future generations. May her life continue to bear fruit. And may the Lord whom she served so faithfully now welcome her into the fullness of eternal life.
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace. Amen.
Submitted by Sr. Delia Marie Monrose