Three Religious influencers for Sr Karan Varker

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In 1963, as a very young  religious, I taught at St Thomas More’s, Brighton le Sands, and lived at St Mary’s Convent, Hurstville. There I met some older Sisters who left lasting impressions on my life.

One was a great Superior,  Sr Mary Columba (Joyce Mary), who sent us as young sisters on our first holiday – to Shellharbour.

Another was Sr Mary Clotilde, an elderly woman who had taught music. She would sit on the back verandah and, when I came home from school, always asked me how my teaching day had been. She was particularly interested in what creative activities were given to the children.

One afternoon as she met me she said, “Sister, I am giving away my belongings and I have something for you!” She then opened her hand in which she held some gold safety pins and gave them to me. Gold safety pins were treasured then. But what she taught me, and which has always remained with me, is a meaning of our Vow of Poverty. I often laughingly say to people now, “I hope when I am about to meet my God, all I have left to give away are a few safety pins!”

A third  was Sr Mary Gertrude, who struck me a being quite eccentric. She always had dark rings under her eyes and I never knew why. Although she was quite friendly with the parish priest, who also seemed somewhat eccentric, she did not hesitate during Mass to loudly tell him to stop rambling on in his homily.

One day, when she and I were alone in the Convent Chapel, she called me over and handing me a book said, “Sister, I want you to read this!”

Its title was French –  Le Milieu Divin. I was somewhat confused, but when I opened it I saw it recently had been translated into English. I had never heard of the author, maybe because junior Sisters were still reading Rodriguez daily, or maybe, as I was to learn later,  Church authorities had silenced the author because of his philosophy and writings.

He was, of course, the amazing Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, who died on Easter Sunday, 1956,  sadly not living long enough to see his thinking give impetus to the wonderful document of Vatican II (1962-1965), The Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World.

Since then many have acclaimed,  affirmed, and drawn nourishment from, his writings, as did Pope Francis in his powerful encyclical, Laudato Si’.

To this day, I remain grateful to Sr Gertrude, obviously a woman before her time, who that day, so long ago, opened for me a spiritual pathway, on-going and enriched through the writings of this extraordinary, humble Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.

  • Karan Varker rsc
THE WISDOM OF MARY AIKENHEAD
When we have so much to praise the Lord for, we must not complain.
THE WISDOM OF MARY AIKENHEAD
True affection is to rejoice in the happiness of our dear ones. Never allow a sentiment of resentment to enter into our hearts.
THE WISDOM OF MARY AIKENHEAD
Pray, reflect and consult – and may the divine spirit direct all to God’s greater glory.
THE WISDOM OF MARY AIKENHEAD
May our dear Lord Jesus fill your hearts with His own love. Amen!
THE WISDOM OF MARY AIKENHEAD
We must have patience with others as He has patience with us.
THE WISDOM OF MARY AIKENHEAD
Under every difficulty try to pray fervently.
THE WISDOM OF MARY AIKENHEAD
We have much to thank Him for, even for those little drawbacks on our comforts and conveniences.
THE WISDOM OF MARY AIKENHEAD
Do pray that justice may be accomplished in peace and that truth may prevail.
THE WISDOM OF MARY AIKENHEAD
Go on now as steadily as you can, relying on the Divine assistance and fear not.
THE WISDOM OF MARY AIKENHEAD
What we do ought to be done well.

The Sisters of Charity acknowledge the First Peoples and traditional custodians of this land where we live. We respect, value and honour their history, culture and spirituality. We are committed to standing in solidarity and to actively working for justice, peace and harmony in this land.

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