 To give the parents and children of the school a sense of continuity, the two women were addressed as "Sisters" by the priests and treated as if they were already members of an established religious institute.By October, Ryan had contracted malaria and developed a heart condition, which required her return to Ireland.Forced to fill in as Acting Headmistress, Martin determined to confer directly with the bishop in his headquarters at Onitsha, a journey of 100 miles (160 kilometers), for which she brought along three of the oldest girls at the school.