First Profession of Sr Maria Breidge McLaughlin

Sr M Breidge was a founding member of Mary’s Meals in her native Donegal and a staunch supporter of their many fund-raising walks to Knock.  In fact she tells us that it was during one of these walks that she first began to think about giving her life to God as a contemplative nun.  When one becomes aware of the enormous needs of our world with so few volunteers to help relieve the suffering of humankind and bring them the Gospel of Christ we become more acutely aware of the need to pray and intercede with the Lord of the  harvest to send labourers to His harvest.  This reiterates the teaching of Vatican II which states that “no matter how pressing may be the needs of the active ministry” of the Church, there will always be a place for those who give themselves to a life of prayer and sacrifice for they “enlarge the Church by their hidden apostolic fruitfulness.”

Today more than ever before, as our secularised world faces the social, political, economic and spiritual effects of Covid 19 we are in need of those who bear witness to the reality and presence of God by their lives.  Many centuries ago St Augustine prayed: “You have made us for yourself O Lord and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” We pray that amidst the fear, anxiety and suffering of this pandemic, many may hear the Lord’s invitation to turn to Him for healing and peace.