I am a Kilkenny girl but have lived most of my life outside the county. I taught in Primary School for many years working with marginalized children. This was a very fulfilled and fulfilling time for me. The children taught me more than I could ever have hoped to teach them.

“Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” (Matt 11:25)

In 2002, my life took a dramatic change when I entered the Sisters of Mercy. This period has been the steepest and greatest learning curve of my entire life. It has also been one of the most liberating. I have been involved in a number of ministries and currently I am based here at Glendalough Hermitage Centre.

I love the element of hospitality that is associated with my work. It allows me the opportunity to interact and chat with the retreatants. Extending a welcome to others happens naturally for me because I come with a predisposition of care towards others.

I also see hospitality as a manifestation of Christ’s presence among us, an understanding which can be enriched by our prayerful reading of the gospel stories. I am reminded of the story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) and the Emmaus story (Luke 24:13-35). A number of Old Testament stories come to mind also – Abraham who invited the three strangers in from the desert (Gen 18) is a particular favourite of mine.

Even though Abraham and the two disciples didn’t recognize the strangers in their lives, they accepted them and invited them to stay. In the welcome, many blessings came their way and their lives were transformed. God is in the unexpected moments of all our lives. I would hope that I would be aware of His presence, both in the people I meet and in the environment in which I live.

My prayer is that our guests will experience a peace and a freedom provided by our pleasant surroundings and go away hope-filled and spirit-filled.