Remembering Diane McGirr (nee Dixon)

Central to Catholic Social Teaching is to give voice to those on the margins of our society – the ones who feel overpowered by the dominant culture. One ex-student, Diane McGirr (nee Dixon) dedicated her life to doing just that. Diane was enrolled in the first class of St Ursula’s Kingsgrove in 1957.

She was a keen student, excelling in all subjects especially those which enabled her to study journalism. So, after completing the Leaving Certificate in 1961 Diane began a cadetship with the Sydney Morning Herald.

Years later she reflected that those early years of working with the Herald were some of the most exciting in her life – writing stories and working through the night to meet the deadlines set by an unforgiving editor. One of her daughters, Sarah remembers her saying that she would step out of the office at 2 am after filing a story, and walk down Broadway in the city, tired and exhausted but with a spring in her step because she felt so happy, alive and thrilled to be doing what she loved.

After raising her family, Diane decided to study law at Sydney University. Her impetus for doing so came from a deep desire to give voice to people who were deprived in a range of ways of doing this for themselves. In her later years Diane took on a voluntary position helping children in the juvenile justice system. This entailed taking calls at any time of day or night and driving to the outskirts of Sydney to sit with a child in a police station when there was no other responsible adult available. Diane embodied compassion especially for those vulnerable and unsupported.

Her long career in journalism where Diane always offered a women’s perspective, was nurtured by her love for good literature. One poem which inspired her was Judith Wright’s “Woman to Child.” In these beautiful verses we hear how the gift of new life is celebrated as it grows from within. Despite the birthing of a new child, “dancing in the living light,” the bond between mother and child is never broken. Diane lived life with this perspective of connectedness to her family and to others.

Her life of love and enthusiasm was lived with a consistent desire to enable others to flourish. She was a true daughter of St Angela Merici who encouraged us to “welcome them all” (8th Counsel of St. Angela) and to “keep the flame of love burning in our hearts.” (Rule of St. Angela Ch. 10).

Rest in Peace, dear Diane.

Sr Patty Andrew OSU