There are days when I find myself wondering how sitting at this desk in this office is any different from the desk and office I occupied in Toronto 7 years ago. With reflection, I understand that the difference lies in my motivation, and how my life is now focused.

Living in a community of gifted, prayerful women who have responded to God's invitation to serve as Consecrated Women helps me keep my focus.

  My name is Sr. Joanne O'Regan and I entered the Sister of St. Martha in 2001, made First Profession of Vows in 2003 and am continuing my discernment towards making Perpetual  profession of Vows sometime in the next couple of years. It may seem like a long time in discernment but it is a time of growth, a deepening of faith, and being engaged in a process that challenges and provides great opportunity for discovering God's invitation to live fully.

I felt drawn to a way of life that was focused on values that were important to me, and that were radically different then the values of money, sex and power. By saying 'yes' to the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience I am able to move about in my life, publicly claiming my desire to live these radically different values. This life has opened up opportunities for me to grow in my relationship with Jesus in ways that I could not have imagined.

This desk and this office are different in that I am different. I live in community with women who share a desire to pray together and support one another in our lives and work. This is a time of great change and ambiguity, not only in Religious Life, and the Church, but in the global community. It is also a time of newness, of moving forward and deepening our understanding of our interconnectedness with all of creation.  It is a great time to continue to say 'yes' to this way of life!

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