In the year of Pilgrims of Hope 2025 I look back on my own pilgrimage, or” Galilee” experience, where everything began, Peter says in his first discourse – things that happened at Jerusalem, but which began in Galilee – our encounter with the Lord, which happened initially when I was just 17 years of age as I responded to a call to travel from Aotearoa, New Zealand to Camberwell, 60 years ago to join the Sisters of Nazareth. I was full of the joy of the Lord and in the springtime of my youth.
Looking back further when I was about twelve years of age, my thoughts centred on whether I should become a Sister! This went on for the next five years or so, off and on, I was influenced by the Sisters that visited the school and by my father’s two sisters who were religious sisters with the Our Lady of the Missions. My parents were very good Christian people and belonged the Vincent de Paul, Catholic Women’s League and the Christian Family Movement, we as a family prayed the rosary every night and used to have family meetings.
We attended Mass on Sundays and some extra days and as a family we used to go to confession, so the faith was lived out by word and deeds. So, I certainly had all the opportunities available in living out my Christian faith. When I was about fifteen, I started to be more earnest in my search regarding a Religious vocation spoke to the parish priest who gave me three religious congregations to write to as I wasn’t drawn to the only religious congregation in the town, we lived in who were the Sisters of St Joseph. I corresponded with the three congregations and prayed about it very earnestly that I would make the right decision.
Eventually, I decided to enter the Sisters of Nazareth in Camberwell – I was just two weeks seventeen at the time. I was attracted by their care for the children and felt drawn to give myself in that type of ministry. On the 1st of October 1967, after entering early in 1965, I made my first Vows as a Sister of Nazareth. My first work in the apostolate was with the children and after that I experienced a variety of works in the congregation and was sent to different states in Australia and spent just over a year in Christchurch with the children.
I spent some time out Questing with another Sister in the Western District of Victoria and in Queensland. This time out collecting was not an easy time and I missed the community very much as we used to stay away in other convents during the week and go home at the weekends. As the care of the children was diminishing in our houses, I spent more time with the elderly and had the opportunity to do my nursing so I could be of better service to those in care.
I had a desire in me for a long time to go to Africa and work with the very poor and during the year of 2000 I was asked would I like to go to South Africa to help the babies with HIV and AIDS, it was like a dream come true. I was blest to have fourteen years ministering in South Africa and I know I have been enriched in ways that I could not imagine. I can return there in my thoughts and memories and be truly grateful that this rainbow country has made a big mark on my journey, forming me to be a better person.
Now I am back in Australia, a beautiful country, I have spent time with those in formation and ongoing formation, which has been a privilege. So, my pilgrimage continues to wherever the Lord leads me and continue on my pilgrimage way!