Meet Sister Patricia Macaulay, CSJ Toronto
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Sister Patricia Macaulay
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A touchstone for my life as a religious woman has been the scriptural saying: “You are Mine”
PRESENT MINISTRY
My daily ministry now is with women and men who come to our programs at Mustard Seed and In Good Company and with the women who live at Fontbonne Place . My work is spiritual care or, as I like to call it since my personal enrichment year, “soul care.”
We have a Followers of Jesus group, which meets weekly at Mustard Seed. My role is coordination of the prayer and content of the meeting time. There was a core faith-community already formed by Sister Gwen Smith when I joined the group. Right now we are reading and discussing Noel Cooper’s book The Language of the Heart. We had the privilege of having Noel introduce the book to us before beginning this adventure into the bible. We also share relevant topics such as ‘Healing Life’s Hurts’ when the dynamic of the group warrants it. We have formed deep bonds in this group, sharing faith, laughter and tears. Our meeting ends with a social time, which also helps to bind us together.
We have affordable housing for 18 women living in their own apartments. Shortly after their arrival about 11/2 years ago they asked for their own Community Kitchen, so the Companions of Welcome and Sister Gwen and I began the weekly “Wednesday Night Supper Club.” After about a year it was changed to Friday nights. I coordinate this social, and sometimes also spiritual activity, along with a few of the residents. It is a joy to gather with the women and the three Sisters in residence — Sisters Gwen, Theresa and Mary Rose. At times the women have special guests; at times, such as Christmas, we have volunteers who come to prepare a special meal along with the women. When there are particular needs, such as prayer for healing before surgery, we gather in the oratory and pray together.
I work out of the Healing Room doing spiritual companioning to those who come for one-on-one accompaniment. Also, I visit the women-residents in their apartments when there is mutual agreement to this. It is wonderful to experience their trust and openness and to relate more closely with them.
As well as on-site ministry, I’m a participant in the In Good Company program, where I visit several people with whom I have been matched. Each person is so unique; I love visiting them in their own space, where they become our ‘welcomers.’
Recently I had a peer review done with two colleagues who are Specialists in Pastoral Care with the Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education. We have periodic reviews so that CAPPE, and the people we serve, can be assured that we are continuing to keep up our skills, as well as being proactive about our ongoing personal and professional growth and development. It was a very affirming process as a certified chaplain for which I am deeply grateful.
COMMUNITY LIFE
Regarding my community living situation, I’m living with our candidate (one who is discerning a call to our community) and four other sisters in the Annex of Toronto. We provide a supportive community whereby our candidate can have an experience of community, so that she can decide from concrete living whether this is the life to which God is calling her. We also discern whether we see her as suitable for religious life with our Candidate Director, Sister Pat Boucher.
Also, we invite young women into our home for Eucharist and dinner once a month, and for prayer and dinner once a month. The women that come have participated in retreats and other outreach programs we have given over the years as a part of our welcoming community mandate.
THE FIRE FOR OUR LIFE AND MINISTRY – PRAYER
In order to be present to others with God’s love, which is our call as Sisters of St. Joseph, we need and desire to spend time with God in daily prayer, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and attending regular Eucharistic celebrations. We also do spiritual reading and have times of retreat to listen to God.
BALANCE IN LIFE
It is important for me to balance my life with fun, exercise and relaxing. Of course this happens at vacation time. As well, I try to sprinkle my life with a movie and dinner with a friend, regular walks and a video at home with the community. I’ve always been quite athletic; my favorite sport is now tennis. If there is no ministry or community event, I aim for some relaxing time in the evenings.
CALL TO BE A SISTER
As I look back on 46 years as a Sister of St. Joseph of Toronto, and the four years before entering religious life, there are some significant events that have changed who I am, and how I look at life.
Firstly, I would like to say that I have had the grace from God to have had the underlying confidence of truly knowing that I was called by God to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto. The way I like to say this is: “I have thought about my vocation, but I’ve never doubted it.” St. Joseph is featured in my vocation story in the sense that our Sister Margaret Phelan prayed a novena to St. Joseph for a tangible outcome--an “unexpected candidate” – my entering from Vancouver, B.C. in 1957 was the answer to that prayer. My mother, who was widowed from WW2, raised five of us, Angus, Neil, Claire, Mary and myself (the youngest) by herself. She was a woman of great faith who loved the Sisters. Mom was delighted that I wanted to enter, and also was sad that I had to go so far away (Toronto to Vancouver), in order to follow my dream. My Mom died of cancer in 1963 just before my final profession. I’m able to visit my family yearly; we keep in close touch.
ONGOING FORMATION AND EDUCATION
Also, it has been a pattern for me that I’ve experienced a certain ministry for a period of time before I prepared for that ministry by education. I worked in our infirmary as a nurses’ aide before beginning my R.N. at St. Joseph’s Health Centre. Then, I worked in pastoral care for four years at St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Comox, B.C. before doing my Masters in Arts/Pastoral Care in Health Care Services at St. Paul University in Ottawa.
OUTSTANDING EXPERIENCES
Probably the most significant life-experience for me has been the 13 years I spent in Comox, B.C. The hospital was a small one, located in the town of Comox, in a very beautiful setting of mountains, ocean, evergreens; for me it was returning home as well. I was able to set up the Pastoral Care Department, to work closely with the local clergy, to train volunteers, as well as do the daily visiting of patients, families and staff. It was truly a very satisfying and fruitful work.
My Community has been very generous with me in allowing me to visit Guatemala and Haiti. We have had missions in both countries, and we have three Sisters in Haiti presently. While it has not been my call to be missioned to these countries, the short stints that I spent there have affected me profoundly. I can never think about food, shelter, water, and clothing in the same way since seeing people face to face deprived of these basic needs. This experience also instilled in me a profound desire to be close to those who suffer at this basic need level, so that I might learn from them what is important in life. I believe this desire has attracted me to be with those we serve in our Fontbonne Ministries.
In the summer of 2003, I was privileged to attend the month-long Bearers of the Tradition Institute in Concordia, Kansas with other Sisters of St. Joseph from around the world, USA and Canada. It was on our history and spirituality. The wonderful presentations by CSJ experts deeply affected my life, especially around the idea of each of us being called to be an apostolic mystic as first conceived by our founder, Father Jean Pierre Médaille, S.J. We have a wonderfully rich heritage!
WITH A GRATEFUL HEART
Thank you for reading my brief life-story. It has been an experience of joy and gratitude to share! Blessings on your continued life-journey!
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