Sisters: Exploring how choices, family, and the passage of time shaped the lives of Irish nuns in Texas

Abstract

In the 1950s, two 18-year-old sisters from rural County Roscommon, Ireland immigrated to a convent in San Antonio, Texas to become nuns. They spent the rest of their lives teaching in the American South, Mexico, Ghana and Zambia—dedicated to the education of African-Americans and other marginalized communities. The primary work of my thesis consists of an audio story that examines the series of life choices made by these two nuns, Sister Jo Murray and Sister Gabrielle Murray, who are my great aunts. The project is a compilation of recorded interviews that deal with the intricacies of immigration, choice, faith and future. The following thesis document examines the methods, radio programs, and histories that informed my reporting and production.