On Saturday 7th January, in her former parish church - St Malachy's, Armagh - Barbara Gartland will make her first vows in the Society.
Barbara knew the Society for several years - including time spent working with our sisters in Uganda - before entering with the Irish-Scottish Province in late 2013. She spent the final part of her candidacy and most of her novitiate here in England, where she became a popular, much-loved sister and "honorary" member of ENW. In September 2016 Barbara moved to Dublin, where she has been volunteering at Merchant Quays Ireland, working with people who are homeless, addicts or families needing support. She will continue living and working in Dublin after making her vows.
The Church asks all religious to initially make their vows temporarily, even if their deepest desire is to say "forever" right from the start: thus Barbara will make her vows for six years, promising obedience, poverty and chastity, and committing herself to our service of education. By these vows RSCJ hand over all that we are to God in the Society, promising to live simply, open-heartedly and non-possessively, to put our liberty, gifts and potential at the service of the Society's mission and to love freely, generously and whole-heartedly.
Some of those who have lived with Barbara here in England will be present at the ceremony, representing the rest of us, and assuring her of our prayer, support and good wishes, as Barbara begins this new stage of her journey with God, and being part of the Society and its mission. May she, in the spirit of this time of Epiphany, be the revelation of Christ and his love to people far and wide!