As we approach our 150th Jubilee, the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles are reflecting on the years that have passed, and on the call that continues to whisper, quietly and insistently, at the heart of our way of life. Vocation, as we have come to understand it, is not a singular moment of decision. It is a lifelong unfolding of response, shaped by listening, relationship, and trust. A movement toward God, and toward others, in love.
The language of vocation can sometimes feel distant or unfamiliar, in a culture that too often prioritises individualism, speed, and certainty. Yet vocation remains profoundly relevant. For us, it is rooted in the ordinary. It invites a different kind of listening: a listening that takes time, that trusts silence, that makes space for uncertainty. It calls us to pay attention to the inner stirrings of our hearts and the deep questions that persist over time.
Vocation is grounded in relationship: with God, with one another, and with the world. It often begins in a quiet restlessness, a sense that something more is being asked of us. It grows through encounter—through people who show us what love looks like in action, through communities that welcome our searching, and through prayer that teaches us to listen for the voice beneath the noise.
Vocation is about being—being open, being available, being willing to be shaped by something greater than ourselves. It is the courage to trust what we cannot yet see, and the humility to follow where the Spirit leads.
Each of our Sisters can point to moments, sometimes small and easily overlooked, when the path became clearer, or the courage to continue was renewed.
Our congregation was founded in 1876 with a clear sense of purpose: to make the love of God visible in the world, particularly among those who are forgotten or overlooked. To do so with humility, and with deep reverence for the wisdom and traditions of the communities in which we serve. That spirit remains central to our life today. The context may have changed, but the call remains: to be present where life is vulnerable, to stand with those whose voices are often unheard, and to walk gently in a world longing for justice and compassion. Each vocation is unique, yet all are held within the same invitation—to live in communion, to serve with compassion, and to witness to hope, even in small and hidden ways.
In today’s world, vocation can seem countercultural. But perhaps that is part of its gift. It offers a different rhythm. A way of life rooted not in achievement, but in presence. Not in having all the answers, but in the willingness to ask deeper questions and to be shaped by what we encounter.
As we enter this Jubilee year, we carry the witness of those who have gone before us: women who chose this path with courage, and who remained faithful through seasons of joy, challenge, and change. Their stories continue to sustain us, revealing the quiet strength of those who trust in God’s guidance.
To consider a vocation today is to take seriously the possibility that your life might be a response to the needs of others. It is to believe that love can be lived in community, and that the world is still in need of those who are willing to serve, to listen, and to walk with others in faith.
Vocation is not about arrival. It is about accompaniment. It’s about showing up, staying open, and trusting that grace will meet us along the way.
Vocation is not about perfection. It is about fidelity—a returning, again and again, to the source of life. For those discerning a path today, we simply say: listen. The call comes in many ways, and never all at once. Trust what moves you. And know that this path, though not always easy, is filled with meaning, companionship, and joy. Above all, it is filled with God’s love. What matters is the openness to begin, and the willingness to be led.
In our preparations to celebrate 150 years of witness and mission, we remain committed to walking alongside others. We remain committed to bearing witness to a God who still calls, still sends, and still walks among us.