In 2024, I completed the Siloam program for the formation of Spiritual Directors. Doing the course felt like the right thing to do at this time in my life. I taught in primary schools for 20 years, and have been involved in providing pastoral care in a hospital setting since 2005. Both setting have shaped and added to my growth. I am extremely grateful for the wealth of personal stories that I have heard through this ministry. They have opened me to the richness of diversity and have also revealed the universality of our hopes and desires. I have listened to people’s
searching and have heard where they have encountered something of the mystery of God. Some of my greatest learning has taken place within the mental health unit, with people who can still find hope amid personal hardships. These have been grace filled moments. These experiences led me to explore spiritual direction.
Favourite Scripture: “And the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
Favourite Book: “Let me Sing you Gentle Songs” by Linda Olsson.
A gentle story about how healing is found through the sharing of one’s story.
Favourite Movie: “Dead Man Walking” The story is inspired by Sr Helen Prejean’s relationship with
Matthew Poncelet, a man on death row.
“Inside Out” – A wonderful depiction of our emotion lives.
Favourite Quote: “Deep within you is written your own song, sing it with all your might”
Memorable Moment: Being able to visit Latvia and meet family members who I only knew through photographs. I decided to approach Riga on a ferry because I wanted my first view of the city to be what my family had last seen when they fled in 1944. There was a mixture of home coming and a deep gratitude for the sacrifices they made as they left all they knew to start a journey into the unknown. It reinforced my feelings of being grateful for their sacrifices and courage, and being very fortunate to have grown up in Australia.