Orla Treacy

Sister Orla Treacy was born in Carlow in 1973 and grew up in Kerry, Clare and Wicklow. At a young age, she was inspired by the lives of service and compassion of her teachers, who were religious sisters. After studying to become a religion teacher, she joined the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM) congregation, known as the Loreto Sisters. In 2006, while teaching and offering pastoral care In Ireland, Sister Orla joined other Loreto Sisters who were starting a new mission in Rumbek, South Sudan. Upon arriving in Rumbek, she was touched by the plight of girls who were being forced into early marriage and denied the right to an education. Guided by the belief of their founder, Mary Ward, that “women in time to come will do much,” the Loreto Sisters started a girls’ only boarding school with 35 students.

Today, Sister Orla serves as the Director of the Loreto Rumbek Mission, overseeing a boarding secondary school for 400 girls, a co-educational primary school (Grades Kindergarten to Primary-8), for 1,200 boys and girls, and a women- and child-centric primary healthcare facility.

Loreto Rumbek is the only development agency in this community and delivers a high-quality education while providing about 2,500 clinical consultations monthly. Sister Orla is a part of a diverse multinational team of religious sisters, educators, nurses, and other support staff, who all share a vision for improving the lives of the most vulnerable in the community – women and children. While the community faces many barriers to education – armed conflict, hunger, and cultural systems that undervalue girl child education, Sister Orla remains filled with hope. As the mission has grown, she has seen a shift in cultural perceptions of the value of education for girls. She continues to work in faith, striving for a world in which girls are not forced into marriage and are allowed to complete their education and pursue their dreams.

She became an International Women of Courage Award recipient in 2019. In 2017, she was awarded The Hugh O’Flaherty International Humanitarian Award by the Mayor of Killarney. In 2021, Sr. Treacy was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for Irish Abroad by Irish President Micheal D. Higgins.