Cambridge nuns take vows, led by Bishop Peter Collins

Sr Maryjohn Kamps renewed her temporary vows, and Sr Mary Gonçalves F.D.C. made her final vows at OLEM, Cambridge, in a Sacred Liturgy led by Bishop Peter Collins, marking a significant spiritual milestone. Sr Mary Gonçalves reports.

God took me from the farthest country, East Timor, and brought me to England with a special plan and mission. When I arrived in Cambridge in 2007, the church of Our Lady of Assumption and English Martyrs, OLEM, Cambridge, had always been a place where we gathered for Sunday Eucharist, a place where I found rest from my weariness of the everyday labour and a place where I found inner peace in the presence of our Eucharistic Lord. It was at OLEM where my love for the Eucharist deepened, and I found consolation in the Sacred Heart Chapel.

As time passed, my union with Jesus grew stronger and in 2013, my vocation to religious life developed within me. In the same year, I met our sisters and joined them the following year in 2014. Throughout my journey in religious life, God has always been by my side, guiding, accompanying, and shaping me to be more like Him, with the support of the sisters, priests, and my family. He captivated me with His divine beauty, a pure love that a soul cannot resist falling in love with. God, in His immense goodness, has led me this far and my soul continues to sing praises to the Almighty for His graciousness to me.

On August 28, the feast of St. Augustine, Sr Maryjohn Kamps renewed her temporary vows and I made my final vows. It was God’s providence that I was able to make my final profession in my Parish home OLEM, where it all began. The Sacred Liturgy was celebrated with great awe by Bishop Peter Collins. The Sacred Liturgy was also joined by Bishop Emeritus Alan Hopes, priests, sisters, family, parishioners, and friends. It was a heartfelt joy for me to know that Christ, Our Lord, was waiting for me at the Altar, ready to welcome me to Himself forever. To give myself to God is my act of thanksgiving to Him, Who is my all in all.

During the homily, the Parish Priest, Mgr Harkness, said, ‘By belonging entirely to God, you belong entirely to His Church, and humbly, in the name of the Church, whom you seek to serve with love and fidelity.’ These words remind me that my vocation is not all about me but my vocation is above all to serve God and His Church with the spirit of readiness and enthusiasm. It is a happiness and privilege for me to be able to serve and to be a witness to God’s people as a Pastoral Assistant at OLEM from September 2023.

With a thankful heart, I praise God for His faithfulness and His infinite love for me. I thank Mother General Maria Dulce Adams for having accepted my request for my final profession and all those who have helped me along my journey with their support and encouragement, the sisters, family, priests, and friends. Please pray for me that I may persevere in my vocation and carry out my duties as a Daughter of Divine Charity with great commitment and dedication.

“You whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, ‘you are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off’.” (Is 41:9)

Pictured above, from the left, is Sr Mary Gonçalves, Bishop Peter Collins and Sr Maryjohn Kamps.