FRIENDS and colleagues of a former chaplain to the Mayor of Blackburn today paid tribute to "a woman of great faith" and "a proud Scot".

Sister St Andrew Tuite, 83, from the Franciscan convent in East Park Road was chaplain to former mayor Peter Greenwood in 1998.

Her death has been met with shock by those at the convent. Fellow missionary Sister Isabel said: "Everyone is shocked. She was lion-hearted but she left this world like the lamb she was inside."

The missionary was a qualified teacher and travelled the world before settling in Blackburn. Sister Isabel said: "She was very much in tune with the Lancashire trait of calling a spade a spade.

"She will be missed and remembered by all those whose lives she touched. I identified with her as a fellow Scot and she was always quick to defend her country as she was her faith and family."

In fact Sister St Andrew, born Mary Tuite, was given her name after the patron saint of Scotland as she became notorious for being such a fiery Scot.

She was well known for her teaching of the scriptures at the Good Shepherd Church in Earl Street. where she was said to be effective and forthright.

Born in Kilbarchan, Scotland in 1922 she entered the congregation at the age of 24 after her brother James, who she looked up to, became a Marist Brother, a religious order devoted to educational work throughout the world.

She was committed to the education of women and after qualifying as a teacher she was appointed to Cameroon and taught in a training college in Kumba before becoming headmistress of a girl's school in the city of Soppo.

She spent time in Kenya, setting up a girls' secondary school, and on returning to Britain she spent time in Manchester and Scotland before Blackburn.

A Requiem Mass for Sister St Andrew, who died early on Wednesday, was due to be celebrated at the Franciscan Convent at 1.30pm today followed by burial at Pleasington Cemetery.