Hong Nhung:
Dear Sister Morgan,
We are here on behalf of VietCatholic News Agency, a media outlet for the Church in Vietnam and Vietnamese Catholic Communities around the world.
We understand the Order of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart is a faith community founded by Blessed Mary MacKillop and Fr. Julian Woods in 1866. After more than a century, could you please to let us know on the development of the Order? And its current structure?
Sr. Pauline Morgan:
Yes certainly, it began in Adelaide, Australia and then spread to all the states in Australia and now it’s in Ireland and Peru and East Timor. Wherever the needs have been, the sisters have gone to all different parts of the world.
Hong Nhung:
From the beginning, the Josephites have lived among ordinary people in groups of two or three to provide education and support for the children and families. How do they live now and apart from providing education, is there anything else in their ministry?
Sr. Pauline Morgan:
Yes, we still live in twos and threes. Sometimes in ones, sometimes in fours. It depends where we are and what the need is and how many sisters there are. I guess, as well as education, even in Mary Mackillop’s time, there was social work and the poor and now still, whenever there is a need, we have social work with the homeless women in Fremantle, the Aboriginal people in the Kimberly’s and very poor people in Peru. There are still sisters nursing in hospitals and aged care places, in orphanages, in centre care, caring for people with financial difficulties, with counselling. I think the list would go on and on. There are many, many sisters in many, many places.
Hong Nhung:
In your experience, what basic questions should a woman discerning a religious vocation ask herself? And what is it precisely that makes a woman think she has a religious vocation?
Sr. Pauline Morgan:
That’s such an interesting question and even the sisters, we talk about what it might be. But it is a call from God and it’s a call that stays with us and then we look at the life usually we’ve known some sisters and admired them and wanted to do some work with them. Some people say that for a religious vocation, it’s like three doors -- people want to get close to God to pray, they want to help people to do good in the world and they’d like to join a group of like-minded people who are doing the same kind of work. So instead of working alone, they’re working with a group of people who have a similar love of God and love of people.
Hong Nhung:
If a woman wants to join in the Josephite vowed religious lifestyle, what she needs to do and what criteria she must meet?
Sr. Pauline Morgan:
Okay, usually, the person has met some other sisters. Though sometimes these days, they have even read about it on the Internet. But usually they know a sister and the work that the sister is doing, so the probably spend some time with her talking about it and then looking at, “Is this the life for me?” “Would I like to give my life to God?” “Would I like to work with the poor or to help people in need?” And then, “Would I like to live with a group of people?” And so people take time to think and pray and look at if they choose this lifestyle, they’re not choosing marriage and children. So it’s quite an adult decision. But I think burning in a person’s heart there’s a longing to do that.
Hong Nhung:
We would like to ask you a question relating to the canonization of Blessed Mary MacKillop. Is there any development in the process for her canonization recently?
Sr. Pauline Morgan:
Well quite recently, the doctors who were examining the second miracle, were able to say that, “Yes, it was a cure” And so that information will now be passed on to the Theologians in Rome and then they will look at it and say whether it is considered a miracle or not. Then the recommendation would be put to the Pope to make her a saint. So there are four more steps and the steps are slowly going through that process. It’ll probably happen at least within our lifetime. [Laughs]
Hong Nhung:
Thanks for your time and your help to raise awareness among our readers on the real meaning of the word vocation, and the call to holiness.
Dear Sister Morgan,
We are here on behalf of VietCatholic News Agency, a media outlet for the Church in Vietnam and Vietnamese Catholic Communities around the world.
We understand the Order of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart is a faith community founded by Blessed Mary MacKillop and Fr. Julian Woods in 1866. After more than a century, could you please to let us know on the development of the Order? And its current structure?
Sr. Pauline Morgan:
Yes certainly, it began in Adelaide, Australia and then spread to all the states in Australia and now it’s in Ireland and Peru and East Timor. Wherever the needs have been, the sisters have gone to all different parts of the world.
Hong Nhung:
From the beginning, the Josephites have lived among ordinary people in groups of two or three to provide education and support for the children and families. How do they live now and apart from providing education, is there anything else in their ministry?
Sr. Pauline Morgan:
Yes, we still live in twos and threes. Sometimes in ones, sometimes in fours. It depends where we are and what the need is and how many sisters there are. I guess, as well as education, even in Mary Mackillop’s time, there was social work and the poor and now still, whenever there is a need, we have social work with the homeless women in Fremantle, the Aboriginal people in the Kimberly’s and very poor people in Peru. There are still sisters nursing in hospitals and aged care places, in orphanages, in centre care, caring for people with financial difficulties, with counselling. I think the list would go on and on. There are many, many sisters in many, many places.
Hong Nhung:
In your experience, what basic questions should a woman discerning a religious vocation ask herself? And what is it precisely that makes a woman think she has a religious vocation?
Sr. Pauline Morgan:
That’s such an interesting question and even the sisters, we talk about what it might be. But it is a call from God and it’s a call that stays with us and then we look at the life usually we’ve known some sisters and admired them and wanted to do some work with them. Some people say that for a religious vocation, it’s like three doors -- people want to get close to God to pray, they want to help people to do good in the world and they’d like to join a group of like-minded people who are doing the same kind of work. So instead of working alone, they’re working with a group of people who have a similar love of God and love of people.
Hong Nhung:
If a woman wants to join in the Josephite vowed religious lifestyle, what she needs to do and what criteria she must meet?
Sr. Pauline Morgan:
Okay, usually, the person has met some other sisters. Though sometimes these days, they have even read about it on the Internet. But usually they know a sister and the work that the sister is doing, so the probably spend some time with her talking about it and then looking at, “Is this the life for me?” “Would I like to give my life to God?” “Would I like to work with the poor or to help people in need?” And then, “Would I like to live with a group of people?” And so people take time to think and pray and look at if they choose this lifestyle, they’re not choosing marriage and children. So it’s quite an adult decision. But I think burning in a person’s heart there’s a longing to do that.
Hong Nhung:
We would like to ask you a question relating to the canonization of Blessed Mary MacKillop. Is there any development in the process for her canonization recently?
Sr. Pauline Morgan:
Well quite recently, the doctors who were examining the second miracle, were able to say that, “Yes, it was a cure” And so that information will now be passed on to the Theologians in Rome and then they will look at it and say whether it is considered a miracle or not. Then the recommendation would be put to the Pope to make her a saint. So there are four more steps and the steps are slowly going through that process. It’ll probably happen at least within our lifetime. [Laughs]
Hong Nhung:
Thanks for your time and your help to raise awareness among our readers on the real meaning of the word vocation, and the call to holiness.