Once again this year, our group of girls from the 8th year at Immaculate Conception Secondary School – St. Jeanne Antide College Tarxien, with the help of their religion teacher, Ms. Claudia Grech, crossed the threshold of the convent of the Sisters of Charity of Tarxien.
There was a mixture of curiosity and excitement in the girls’ hearts. For many of them, it was the first time they had set foot in a convent, a place they had heard of but which always seemed a little distant from their world.
To welcome them was Sister Teresa, together with other sisters from the community. After a brief greeting, they were invited to play a game: we gave them a sheet of paper with Bible verses and a clue that would guide them to a place in the convent. Divided into small groups, they began to explore.
Some found the chapel, a peaceful place where the nuns gather in prayer. Others reached the refectory, where they were told how meals are taken in the community. Others still discovered the internal garden, a little corner of paradise with trees, flowers and a silence that seemed almost magical.
After the game, we met again in the TV room, where Sister Melissa told us about her life: she spoke about how she felt the call to religious life, her experiences and how her choice had given her a deep joy.
These moments help to change some of the misconceptions we have about nuns and religious life.
When it was time for questions, none of them shied away. “But do you visit your parents?” asked a girl with a shy smile. “What about social media?” asked another.
Sister Melissa tried to answer simply and sincerely, telling us what the daily life of a nun is like, her various commitments and also her moments of leisure. It was a discovery for the girls, who, after all, are normal people, with passions, doubts and dreams, just like them.
Before the end of the day, we took the group to the chapel to give them a little experience of prayer. We explained that the Psalms play an important role in our daily life because they express joy and trust, but also doubts and difficulties, just like in everyone’s life.
At the end of the day, as they were leaving the convent, some of them said: “I didn’t expect it to be so nice to be with them,” “They have satisfied so many curiosities!” added another. And finally, more than one was struck and expressed that “the nuns are normal people like us!”
We felt that the girls left the convent with a lighter heart, with the awareness of having had a special experience, hoping that the girls have learned that nuns are not distant and unapproachable figures, but authentic people, ready to welcome us with a smile and share a part of their lives with us.
Sister Melissa
School Ministry Team
