Profiles

Sisters give an account of the story of

'How They Caught Mary MacKillop's Flame'

Ballarat Diocese

As a 10 year old, I was very aware of choosing to work for God in whatever field God desired.  This was one side, the other side of me wanted 8 children and to be as far away from nuns as possible.  But there was always this desire to look after children less fortunate than myself, whether in or out of the Convent.

The struggle went on for 12 years.  I felt I had a personal relationship with Jesus and this helped me overcome the horror of putting on one of those terrible habits.  Nuns were not my thing, nor my mothers, nor my friends.  God seemed to be the only person who thought this celibate prayerful life was a good thing.

I did not know Josephites but was introduced to them by

a Domincan priest when I was 22.  I walked up the stairs of the Convent at Havelock Road, Hawthorn East and rang the door bell.  As I waited I read a plaque Sisters of St Joseph of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus".  Immediately I knew I was in the right place.  Whilst there have been lots of hard moments, I have never doubted I was in the right place, not for one second.  Teaching wasn't easy but it was all preparation for so many things and the meeting of very wonderful people.  Whilst I am still wary of 'nuns', I love my family - the Sisters of St. Joseph

Melbourne Diocese

“No way!” was my first response to God when I realised my path was leading me to a way of life I had no idea of.

Sisters of St Joseph? Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison Woods? Well, yes, the nuns had always been around. I was even taught by one! But I really didn’t know anything about them. Why, now, am I feeling so much at home with them? Why, now, do I find myself becoming intrigued by the life of these women? I’m starting to feel a connection that I can’t quite put my finger on………

That all happened about 1995 and in my journey I have met many Josephites as well as Sisters from other Religious Congregations. The more I walked and struggled along this path, the more I felt this deep awareness that this was where I was meant to be.

Then again, maybe Mary MacKillop touched me years ago! About 20 years ago I was travelling with a family to Byron Bay. As we passed through Sydney the mother of the family wanted to stop at this chapel. She had heard of Mary MacKillop. Little did I know that in 2002, my ability to finally say “YES LORD” would lead to my First Profession as a Sister of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in that same chapel.

Sale Diocese

My mother taught me my faith and my father showed me what love meant.  I was fourteen when I knew, with certainty that I wanted to be a Sister of St Joseph.  For the previous two years I had attended a boarding school run by Josephites in country Victoria.  God was the centre of every subject at St. Mary's and prayer was woven through the day.  I was taught by excellent teaching Sisters who really cared that we learn well.

Originally I was attratced by the Sisters who taught me and by the ministry they exercised in country schools.  I was in love with the idea rather than the reality of religious life.  It took a while for me to realize that the vows meant a whole new way of loving and an ever deepening life-long relationship with God.  Really living the vowed life takes all the love a person has.

When I told my mother what I had decided, she said I was too young to know what I wanted and I wasn't good enough to have a vocation.  I pursued the idea for three more years and entered at seventeen.  She was half right I think.  I was very young.  I soon learned that being "good enough" was impossible and irrelevant.  God chooses whoever God wants for his own purposes and a vocation isn't deserved or earned by goodness.  It is a free gift of love.