Disciples of
the Divine Master
Irish Delegation (PDDM) “By this love you have for one
another, everyone will know that you are my disciples” (Jn 13, 35)
Vocation stories: Sr.
Louise
Country
of origin: Ireland
(currently in Rome for preparation for Perpetual Profession)
It was very strange and even frightening hearing myself pronounce those
words ‘I’m going to enter the convent and become a religious sister'. I
was 17 at the time and like any teenager of that age I feared the
reaction of my family and friends- it wasn't exactly the ‘done thing'.
My family was brilliant about it as were my friends and have supported
me 100% all the way. It took slightly longer for some of my friends to
embrace the idea and some even thought I was ‘mad' but as I thought to
myself : ‘Blessed are the cracked for it is through them that the Lord's
light shines!' During my teenage years I had begun to realize that this relationship
with the Lord was getting serious and through Eucharistic Adoration ,
various retreats with the Sisters and others with Youth 2000, I finally
made a decision to make that leap of faith and try religious life. This
time of ‘trying it out’ became a commitment and then the commitment
became three precious treasures called vows of chastity, poverty and
obedience which I professed in 2004 when I made my First Profession.
I remember being struck enormously by their joy and their openness of
the sisters when I was a child, they were lively and bubbly and did no
justice to my concept of the ‘Sound of Music' type nuns. They invited me
to a choir practice in our parish and it was there that the tiny mustard
seed had been sown. My love for music and for song was a decisive factor
in this initial response and little did I know that it would be a
catalyst for my vocational decision a few years later. The lovely sense
of peace and quiet in the Adoration Chapel became for my refuge during
challenging schooldays and teenage trials. I only began seriously thinking about religious life and becoming a
sister when it came to filling out the forms for college during my
Leaving Cert year. I had been thinking about teaching because I liked
working with children and liked to contribute within the social and
educational spheres but there was a strong pull within me towards a more
contemplative life.
However God had to have much patience with me as there was resistance
within me to go against the tide of modern society and do something
completely ‘different’, that something different being to give my whole
life to the Lord . I became very aware that my vocation was a ‘treasure
in clay vessels’ as St. Paul says and had to allow myself to be moulded
by the fashioning hand of God. He continues to mould me in the ways
which only He knows and showers with many graces and opportunities along
the way. The wonderful thing is that God calls normal people. He doesn’t
call ‘ready-made saints’ but He gently provokes and He asks: ‘what are
you doing with your life? What meaning does it have?’ It is an itch that
won’t go away and you have to respond with a generous and free ‘Yes’
just as I discovered.
Now I
am on the threshold of Perpetual Profession! The years have gone by
quickly but they have been full to the brim with the graces of God:
so many experiences, so many people, each one of them contributing
in a special way to my journey which has brought me this far. It
seems surreal at times, to think that I have arrived at this point,
despite the various difficulties and challenges which there have
been. Indeed I can say like Mary our Mother :
“The Lord has done great things
for me” and He continues to bless me and those whom I love in many ways
!
