After nearly 40 years of being an artist and a lifetime as a Dominican nun, Sister Mary Horn is leaving Waitaki.
At the end of February, Sr Mary will move to Dunedin because of her health and to be closer to other sisters, bringing an end to the 140-year presence of Dominican nuns in North Otago.
Sr Mary has lived in Teschemakers, 13km south of Oamaru, for the past 30 years, and for the past two, she has been the last remaining nun of her order in North Otago.
Originally from Waimate, she joined the St Dominic’s Priory convent in Dunedin and became a nun when she was 20.
Now 84, Sr Mary is not going without a send-off — or two.
Tomorrow, a Mass will be held at St Patrick’s Basilica to honour the presence of Dominican nuns in North Otago and its conclusion with the departure of Sr Mary.
There will be 11 nuns from Dunedin at the Mass, which will be followed by a morning tea and a visit to the graves of 35 Dominican nuns who were buried in Oamaru.
Since their arrival in 1882, nuns of the order have been key figures in education and spirituality within North Otago, teaching pupils at the former St Patrick’s Dominican Girls’ School in Teschemakers, St Thomas’ School, St Joseph’s School, and St Kevin’s College.
Although Sr Mary was sad to be leaving Waitaki, she was proud of the 140 years of "wonderful" community service the nuns had provided to the community, whether it was through the church or education.
Spirituality has not been her only focus during her life in Waitaki.
In her late 50s, Sr Mary attended a fateful portrait class with a friend and has been practising art ever since.
"It’s been very important taking on something totally new and it becomes a passion," Sr Horn said.
Gallery chairwoman Sue McLean said Sr Mary was "iconic" and an inspiration, having developed a rich art career at 57 years old.
"In Mary’s paintings [there] are a whole lot of the different aspects of her life, from her spirituality through to her relationships with people and place," Mrs McLean said.
"I think it’s absolutely lovely to celebrate people while they are still here," she said.
Over the years, Sr Mary has created thousands of pieces, and although some will be destroyed, she is trying to sell as many as she can before moving.
On February 19, an exhibition of her work will be held at the gallery in Harbour St to help this process.
In recognition of its support over the years, Sr Mary donated some of her work to Oamaru’s Forrester Galley, which has hosted 11 exhibitions of her art.
Her career as an artist had came as a "surprise".
Sr Mary, who was in the Order of Preachers, said her preaching was through art.
She had not been able to paint since the beginning of 2021 but was not sad: "I know it’s just a new phase in my life."
Although she was "ambivalent" about her move to Dunedin, she would miss the country and the community.
"I will miss the land, and I will miss the people."
