“She believed everything she does here are
offerings to God. It was God’s will to choose her to be a nun, and her only intention
is to inherit His heavenly Kingdom, and to glorify Him forever. ”
「她相信自己所做的都是奉獻，因為天主選擇她作為修女，她只知道自己要繼承天國，永遠榮耀主。」
My
first stop at Uganda, I stayed with a priest at Kinanira Parish in Kisoro
district. However, my host was busy all the time and I was always left alone
wandering by myself. The very first Mass I attended was the Christmas Eve one,
I tried to hide myself at the corner to wait for the Mass to begin, but was still
surrounded and stared by curious villagers. Suddenly, Sister Jane, a young and
sweet nun came to me, held my hand and led me to the Altar to sit with the
other nuns. I felt such a relief to have a company in this new and unknown
place.
Dream
from Childhood
Jane is 23 this year, has only been a nun
for half a year. She shared with me how her path began. She has 7 siblings but was
the first born in her family. Her parents were peasants. She used to go to
Church with her grandparents every Sunday, where she always found the Nuns very
humble, especially the way they dressed and prayed. It came to her mind she
wanted to be a nun one day. When she grew older, she attended a group in Church
with the other young people to praise and worship during holidays.
When she was in P.7, she sent out the very first
application to “Daughter of Our Lady of Fatima”, an institute which provides
training for Nuns. She got a reply she should first finish S.4. She prayed all
the time she wanted to be a nun one day. However, her dad didn’t want her to be
one because she was the first born and if she didn’t get married he would not
get any dowry. All Jane could do was to keep praying and hope her dad would change
his mind.
When she was in S.2, she sent out another
application again, and was replied with the same answer. Finally she reached
S.4, the leaders of the Institute came to her school and invited them to go for
an interview.
Decision
Against Father’s Will
Jane went home and told her parents about
the interview, but her dad told her not to go. All she could do was just keep
on praying. When the date of the interview arrived, her mom gave her money for
transportation.
She and another 2 girls from her school attended
the interview together, which lasted for 3 days. Finally they all passed and
were given a list to prepare the necessary items for the school. Jane was excited
and showed it to her parents when she reached home. Her dad, still didn’t like
the idea at all.
Sailing
towards Dream
To become a nun, one needs to go for a 3-year
training. First year was called Aspirancy, the girls learned about how the Institute
started, how to say the prayers with Rosaries, how to sing and praise God. Postulancy,
the second year, they went to another place for training. They were required to
wake up at 5am to do the first prayer at Church. Then they needed to work and
learned how to cook. They also studied counseling, psychology and agriculture.
The third year, Novitiate, no more working but only studying was required. It
was when everyone set their mind to be in Sisterhood forever to pray and serve
God.
During the school years, the girls couldn’t
call or go home at all. Instead, they would go home and decided if they want to
continue during the school breaks. In the first 2 years breaks, everytime Jane
went home her dad was not happy and asked her not to go back to the Institute. In
her class there were 27 girls at first, then 20 girls left in the second year,
and only 15 girls came back for the third year. Jane found the second year most
challenging because the place was located in a cold area. She thought of giving
up and asked herself why not going home instead. But she managed to stay strong
and overcome the difficulties.
Dream
requires Perseverance
One month before graduation, the girls sent
out invitations to their parents to come for their graduation ceremony. When
the date arrived, Jane was shocked to find that her dad was very happy and
congratulating her. Her family rented a car and brought 25 people from the
village to attend her graduation. Finally she got full support from her family
regarding her life decision.
After 2 weeks holiday at home, the girls were
all appointed to different communities. Jane came to this Parish in May to work
with 6 other nuns, till now she is still the newest and youngest one.
A
Nun, a Lifetime Server
There were 3 vows the Nuns took, 1.
Obedience, follow the leaders. 2. Poverty, share with the others. 3. Chastity,
to love without segregating. After becoming a nun, there are still a lot of
rules they need to follow. They can only go home for 2 weeks after working for
1 year, and can only keep a phone after 3 years. They cannot decide where to
work, leaders of the Institute appoint them to work or further study.
The Parish pays to the Institute and the
nuns receive a little bit for their daily expenses each month.
Jane’s main duty here is to prepare for the
Mass, prepare the items used, wash and iron Priests’ clothes, sweep and mop the
Parish, etc. When she is not busy, she should also help in the kitchen. She
believed everything she does here are offerings to God. It was God’s will to
choose her to be a nun, and her only intention is to inherit His heavenly Kingdom,
and to glorify Him forever.
Her happiness scale is 8 out of 10. She
enjoys the place here. She likes the priests and sisters and she is serving
God. She hasn’t seen other challenges yet, but if she could learn the local dialect
she can communicate with the villagers better. She wish she can continue studying
one day and specialize in nursing.
At last, she gave me an ornament with
pictures of Jesus and Maria as the present for exchange. She also shared with
me her favorite Beatitudes, “Those who give will receive more, those who are
poor the Heavenly Kingdom is there, those who are sick God has mercy for them.”
我在烏干達的第一站，找到一位當神父的沙發主人，有機會借宿在國家西南部山區的一間教堂。我的沙發主人非常忙碌，常常剩下我一個人到處胡亂走動。我第一個出席的彌撒是在平安夜晚的，許多好奇的村民圍過來看我，我只好躲在一邊角落等待彌撒開始，但感覺仍然是不良好。突然，一位年輕和藹的修女Jane來到我面前，牽起我的手，把我帶到前台和其餘的修女坐在一起，在一個陌生的地方能夠有認識的人作伴，我立即感到一陣釋懷。
童年時候的志願
Jane今天二十三歲，才當了修女半年，她跟我分享了自己的故事是怎麼開始的。她家中有七位兄弟姐妹，自己卻是最年長的一位，父母親是農民，小時候每個星期天也會跟祖父母到教堂參與彌撒，她看見那些修女都很謙卑，尤其是她們穿衣和祈禱的樣子，於是也希望自己有一天能夠當修女。當學校假期時她也會出席教堂的年青人小組，讚美和崇拜天父。
小學七年級的時候，她發出了第一封申請到一間修女學院，得到的答覆是她需要先完成中四課程，她只好每天祈禱自己有一天能當上修女。不過，父親卻不同意她的想法，由於她是最年長的，若果她不出嫁家裏便不能收取嫁妝，她只能祈禱父親有一天會改變主意。
中二的時候，她又發出了申請信，收到的回覆和第一次一樣。終於，她唸中四了，修女學院的代表來到她的學校，邀請同學們參與面試。
違背父親意願的決定
Jane回家告訴父母有關面試的事情，但父親告誡她不能去，她只好繼續祈禱。當面試的日期來到，母親給予她交通費用出席面試。
她和另外兩位同校同學一起出席為期三天的面試，最後她們全部過關，並獲派一張物資名單準備開學的事宜。她心裏很雀躍，立即回家給父母看，父親仍是不能同意她的選擇。
向夢想啟航
要成為修女，必須出席三年的培訓課程。第一年學習學院的歷史和背景資料，怎樣用項鍊祈禱，怎樣唱誦詩歌讚美主。第二年，她們要到另一個地區接受訓練，早上五時起床到教堂祈禱，然後擔當煮食和打掃的工作，她們也學習輔導、心理學和農耕等科目。第三年，再沒有勞動性的工作了，只有書本上的學習，也是每個人下定決心要當修女永遠侍奉天父的時候。
學年期間她們不能致電或回家，學年與學年之間的假期她們才回家一陣子，並思考清楚要不要繼續課程。首兩年的假期，每次Jane回家父親都感到不悅都叫她不要再回學院上課了。班上起初共有二十七名女生，第二年剩下二十名，第三年只有十五位回來繼續上課。對她來說，第二年是最辛苦的，因為那一年的學習地區位於寒冷的地方，她想過放棄，心裏問自己為甚麼不回家呢？幸好，最終她也成功堅持並克服困難。
夢想 需要堅持
畢業前的一個月，同學們寄出邀請信回家邀請家人出席畢業禮。當畢業禮的日子來到，Jane很震驚，因為父親竟然掛上笑容前來並祝賀她，家人更租了一部汽車把全村二十五個親戚朋友送來，終於她得到了家人的全力支持自己的人生決定。
在家度過了兩星期的假期後，這群新畢業的修女被分配到不同的社區委任工作。二零一四年五月她來到這間位於山區的教堂，和其餘六名修女一起侍奉，至今她仍是最年輕和資歷最淺的一位。
修女 一生的侍奉
當修女有三個誓言，第一是服從，跟隨領袖的指令；第二是清貧，和別人分享所得；第三是貞潔，不分彼此的愛世人。當上了修女之後，她們仍然有許多的規則要遵守，每工作一年才可以回家兩星期，三年後才可以持有手機。她們不能決定在那裏工作，學院的領袖會負責委派工作或進修的決定。教堂會給學院直接發薪，修女每月只會領取小量金額作為生活費。
Jane在這裏主要的職責是準備彌撒，準備所需的物品、洗燙神父的長袍、打掃教堂等，當她有空餘時間也要幫忙廚房的工作。她相信自己所做的都是奉獻，因為天主選擇她作為修女，她只知道自己要繼承天國，永遠榮耀主。
她的快樂指數十分有八分，她喜歡這個地方、這裏的神父和修女，也為自己能作侍奉而高興。暫時她還沒有遇到甚麼挑戰，可以的話她希望學習本地方言跟村民溝通，也希望有一天自己可以再有進修的機會，擔當護士的職務。
最後她給我送了一個小掛飾作交換禮物，上面有耶穌和聖母瑪利亞的肖像，她也和我分享了她最愛的「天國八福」(The Beatitudes)：
神貧的人是有福的，因為天國是他們的。
哀慟的人是有福的，因為他們要受安慰。
温良的人是有福的，因為他們要承受土地。
飢渴慕義的人是有福的，因為他們要得飽足。
憐憫人的人是有福的，因為他們要受憐憫。
清心的人是有福的，因為他們要看見天主。
使人和睦的人是有福的，因為他們要稱為神的子女。
為義受迫害的人是有福的，因為天國是他們的。
