Statement by Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan on the great loss of our Founder and Life President Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy

All of us at Focus Ireland are deeply saddened and heart broken by the passing of our beloved founder and Life President, Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy after a period of illness.

We would like to express our thanks to all the medical staff who showed great care for Stan in recent times.

Sr. Stan, as she was affectionately known, 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.

Sr. Stan founded Focus Ireland in 1985 with a simple but profound vision: that everyone has the right to a place they can call home.

Her amazing energy along with her unwavering commitment to ending homelessness saw Focus Ireland grow over the years to the leading housing and homelessness charity it is today.

Stan’s fierce advocacy for social justice, and her deep empathy for those most marginalised in our society inspired generations of staff, volunteers and supporters.

Her leadership was rooted in love, dignity, and respect. She never lost sight of the individual stories and people behind the statistics.

Sr. Stan’s work changed so many thousands of lives — not only through the services Focus Ireland provides, but through the hope and humanity she brought to every encounter she had with people who were often at their lowest point in life having become homeless.

Sr Stan’s energy and vision also led her to found a number of other organisations which work for social justice in Ireland, including Immigrants Council of Ireland, Young Social Innovators and the Sanctuary and we share our loss with them.

Sr. Stan’s legacy will live on, and her vision will continue to guide us. We will not see her like again that is for sure.

We extend our deepest sympathies to her family, friends, the Religious Sisters of Charity and the very many people whose lives she touched and changed for the better.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.

Pat Dennigan,

CEO,

Focus Ireland