In the days since news emerged of the death of Sister Clare Crockett in the devastating earthquake in Ecuador, it has become clear that she was a remarkable young woman who dedicated her life to helping others.
The thoughts and prayers of the entire community will be with her family in the Brandywell area of Derry who described her as a `superstar'.
Friends have also paid tribute to someone they said had the ability to light up a room while her cousin, Emmet Doyle, told how she had died trying to help others.
Sr Clare died alongside five young women who had recently entered the Home of the Mother religious order. It is believed she was trying to lead the group of postulants to safety from a school building when a staircase collapsed.
As rescue teams continue to search for survivors buried in rubble, the death toll from Saturday's powerful quake has reached more than 400.
This has been a terrible blow to Ecuador which will need considerable international support to help rebuild thousands of destroyed
homes and ruined infrastructure.
Humanitarian aid will be provided by people like Sr Clare, people who go where they are needed and carry out valuable work.
They are often the unsung heroes in regions affected by poverty, deprivation and a range of social problems.
Sr Clare dedicated her life to children, teaching in Ecuador and previously working in Spain and the US.
And while Irish missionaries abroad were commonplace in years gone by, these days it is unusual for a young woman to become a nun and work across the world with a religious order.
Sr Clare freely admitted that she had enjoyed a party lifestyle as a teenager and was building a career as an actress before discovering her vocation.
She later spoke about her chosen path and it was obvious she was an immensely positive person, full of joy and happy with her life.
Hopefully, that will prove a consolation to her family at this desperately sad time.
