Mary Doohan, born in 1917, was the Founder and President of The Little Way Association. She died at the Little Sisters of the Poor, Meadow Road, Vauxhall, on Friday, 29th August 2008, aged 91.

The Little Way Association has as its aims the promotion of the missionary activity of the Church and the development of spirituality under the inspiration of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

In 1960, the Association was given ecclesiastical approval by Cardinal William Godfrey and later moved from the Westminster diocese to its present headquarters in Clapham, South London.

Over the years an enormous amount of aid has been given to the missions.

The spiritual activities of the Association have included regular pilgrimages to Lisieux, Fatima, Lourdes and Guadalupe. 'Little Way Centres' have developed in Fatima, Lourdes, Knock and Walsingham. Times of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament exposed have become a feature of the Association’s work, with opportunities for such quiet prayer for the missionary work of the Church at the Association's headquarters each week.   

Mary was a parishioner at St. Mary’s, Clapham, where her funeral will take place on Monday 8^th September at 12.30pm. She will be buried in Coore, Co. Clare, Ireland, on 11^th September. 

She carried out her work in a totally selfless way, never drawing attention to herself. In 1978 she received the “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” medal and in 1996 was made a Dame of St Gregory. 

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later date in St. George’s Cathedral, Southwark.

May she rest in peace.