Sister Teresa Margaret Murphy, OP, died peacefully on Dec. 7 at HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. She was 95 years old.

She was born Margaret Jane Murphy in Co Derry, N. Ireland to Mary (née McCloskey) and James Murphy. She was the eldest of five children: Margaret, William, George, Mary and Veronica.

At the age of 16, she left her home in Dungiven, Ireland and entered one of the Federated Dominican monasteries of the Perpetual Rosary in Gianicolo, Rome on Nov. 9, 1937. On May 24, 1939, she made her first profession as a contemplative nun. Soon after, she was sent as vicaress to assist in the closure of their monastery in Glasgow, Scotland, for a six-month period. In 1943, she left Rome for their monastery in Camden, N.J., where she made her solemn profession on Aug. 10, before being sent to their monastery in Fatima, Portugal where she served as prioress for six years.

On Feb. 9, 2014, having served the 114-year-old Dominican monastery in Camden for 71 years, as bursar, sacristan, and at her request, extern sister, she was happy to transfiliate to the monastery of Mary the Queen in Elmira, N.Y., when the monastery in Camden closed its doors.

However, Sister Teresa’s travels had not yet come to an end. On Sept. 2, 2014, together with her new community of 14 nuns, she journeyed to Springfield to begin collaborations with the Dominican family of sisters, nuns and friars of the same Order of Preachers.

Before her passing she was lovingly cared for by the Dominican sisters and their staff of nurses at their Regina Coeli’s infirmary at their mother house in Springfield.

Sister Teresa is survived by 37 nieces and nephews in Ireland, England and the United States.

A funeral Mass was celebrated on Dec. 12. Staab Funeral Home in Springfield was in charge of arrangements.