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Sister M. Marguerite (Maureen) O’Brien
After leaving school I worked in the Commonwealth Public Service and enjoyed the companionship of the men and women there. We played shuttlecock in the lunch hour and became friends. Since I worked near St Stephen's Cathedral, I often called there for a visit to the Blessed Sacrament – hat and gloves on of course! In the Wavell Heights Parish community I played the organ on Sunday night for benediction before going to a social. I loved dancing and had joined Ron Steele's Dance Studio to learn Old Time and New Vogue dancing which meant I was out for a lesson on Wednesday nights and for a dance on Friday nights. After a time I became a member of the staff and taught dancing at the Caledonian Hall studio. My other recreations were basketball and tennis. I visited All Hallows each year to serve at the fete cake stall organised by Sister Beatrice Mary and joined the National Catholic Girls' Movement at Wavell Heights parish. The thought of a vocation to religious life came to me once in a while but I did not seriously consider it until, returning from a very enjoyable social evening, I had this empty feeling and questioned myself as to what life was all about. However, life was full and enjoyable and family life was strong - much of it centred around my brothers who played football which drew the family together at weekends. As a family we had a great deal of fun together.
I found absence from my family painful and this separation was made more difficult by the fact that I could actually see home from the Novitiate windows. In the early days I was constantly torn between staying and going. Nevertheless, on the day of my Profession I came to peace of heart with my decision. It is difficult to define the pull to be a religious - a deep spiritual movement of the heart.
On Saturdays I used to go on a ministry to the street people, rising early in the morning and delivering food and coffee to men and women who were sleeping rough around the inner city. I was drawn to a social ministry among the poor so I undertook Clinical Pastoral Education and now work in Urban ministry in Sydney with the mentally ill, in palliative care and with the street people. Through these ministries I have come to understand the joy that Saint Francis felt when he ministered to those with the greatest needs in his society, and the conviction of our Foundress, Elizabeth Hayes who wrote:
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I was born into a Catholic family in Brisbane, the eldest of six children - two girls and 4 boys. I spent my primary years at St Anthony's in Kedron and went to All Hallows for my secondary years. During my primary years Sisters Dawn and Clare were my music teachers and I grew to know individual sisters quite well as, during visits to the convent from time to time with gifts from the family, the sisters spent significant time with me. I recognised something very special in these sisters.
A visit to Sister M. Bernadette made me think more deeply and on the Feast of the Little Flower during a visit to the Cathedral I knew that a decision was made. My mother, who was a convert at marriage, did not understand how a girl who loved her family, her work, dancing and sport would want to enter the Convent. I had planned to enter on 8th December but Mum wanted another Christmas together as a family. However, I knew deep down that if I did not go then, I would not go at all.
For a number of years I taught Commercial Subjects at Marymount College, Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast and also at Mt Alvernia College in Kedron where I enjoyed a special relationship with the students and staff. This was a very happy and fulfilling time.