MARY Goodall's primary focus in life was loving God and serving him. That's what motivated her. That's really all she ever wanted to do.
The service she gave to young people, to the Church and to her local parish community was merely the practical working out of that deep love.
The eldest child of Sam and Una Goodall, Mary was reared along with two brothers and three sisters in a happy family home in Merville Garden Village, Newtownabbey.
Her parents were devout Catholics and from an early age Mary developed a deep faith and a special attachment to her parish church, St Mary's, Star of the Sea, which she described as her spiritual home.
She attended Star of the Sea PS and Little Flower Secondary School and trained as a teacher in Manchester, where she taught for two years in the Cardinal Langley school.
For many years Mary had felt a calling to religious life and in 1978 she entered the Dominican Order.
As a nun, she taught RE in Dominican College in north Belfast and worked with children in deprived areas of Dublin.
However, after serving faithfully for 10 years, Mary painfully reached the conclusion that this life was no longer her calling and she left to pursue what she had come to see as her true vocation: to spread the gospel and promote the growth of God's kingdom through education and the faith development of people of all ages, but especially the young.
Her first job on leaving the order was in Hazelwood Integrated College in Newtownabbey but after three years she moved to Assumption Grammar in Ballynahinch, where she spent 18 very happy years, enjoying a wonderful rapport with staff and pupils alike, until her retirement in 2012.
Mary's commitment to the development of young people could also be seen in the 20-plus years she spent on the board of Youth Link, the inter-church youth training body.
She was gratified to see it grow from small beginnings to something making significant changes to young people's lives, helping to transform families, communities and society.
Mary also gave the best part of 20 years' service to YouthCom, the forerunner of Living Youth, the youth faith development agency in the Diocese of Down and Connor.
After her retirement she delivered school retreats in the south Down area and became more active in her own Loughshore Parishes. During Lent, Easter and Advent she ran faith development courses both for young people and adults.
For many years she was also a member of the parish choir and she served several terms on the pastoral council.
All who knew Mary will testify that she had an enormous capacity for joy and enjoyment. She had a wonderfully uninhibited and infectious laugh.
Her symbol was the rainbow because for her it was a reminder of God's blessing of the earth.
It stood for love, joy, hope and unfailing positivity in the face of life's challenges. Mary shared all those qualities with the people she encountered in life.
When she was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, her stoicism and positivity were an inspiration to all those who knew her.
She demonstrated a determination to look on the bright side and dealt with setbacks with dignity and courage.
When friends shared their problems with her, she often advised them to "Let go and let God". This became her motto in life.
She learned to surrender control and give herself completely, and trustfully, into God's care until she passed away aged 66 on January 21.
Mary will be sadly missed by her family, friends and the entire community of the Loughshore Parishes.
