I’m a New-Zealander of English origin. I was sixteen months old when we left England for New Zealand, a country my father fell in love with in the course of his maritime journeys.

In my youth my aspirations were more of an artistic nature with an attraction to the fine arts. For different reasons this dream never came true.I went through different types of training which allowed me to work whilst seeking my vocation. At the time I was already thinking of a consecrated life… but where ?

I had to wait for God’s hour! This time of somewhat painful waiting proved necessary to learn not to turn away when confronted with God’s silences. After a 6-year search I received the answer I was waiting for. In a prayer group a video on a ”new community” in France was making the rounds. A German/New Zealand couple in touch with “that community” in Germany desired the Community to be known in NZ I discovered young people experiencing an intense life of prayer and what’s more there were consecrated artists present ! That is how I discovered the “Community of the Beatitudes”.

It needed something strong and somewhat out of the ordinary to convince a rather timid soul to leave everything/ family, work, country, culture and language to follow the call received in her heart and set sail toward the unknown.

Today my heart is full of gratitude. In Him I have learned to live a new, ample, free life : the life of the Kingdom. I have become a citizen of that Kingdom searching the way in my heart that I may live ever more deeply in that Kingdom and communicate it to all around me.

The advice I would give is to always listen to our heart’s aspirations : they are the desires God implants in us, and He can do all things for He is with us and on our side !

Sr. Claire of Assisi