Home
Vocations
Sisters' Stories
Sr Edna Brice
The Charism of Sion
The Family of Sion
Sion in the UK and Ireland
Events
News of Sion
Other News
Our History
More about Sion
Links
I was asked to write out how I came to enter Sion, 50 years ago. 'Keep it short' they said, better said than done as it was a long drawn out process, however, I'll try, so and then we will skip a few years.
I was born in 1925 into a working class family with no
religious background whatsoever. We lived in rural Cornwall where my father was
in the Tax Office, a safe job, but poorly paid. We rented a farm house, we
often helped out on the farm. Going to school at 5 years old, I couldn't read
or write but I could milk a cow! I was normal healthy child until at about 7 years old, disaster struck in the shape of a very rare form of Stills Disease (nowadays knows as 'Childhood Arthritis'). I spent many months at the large teaching hospital in Plymouth, where knowledge and treatment were sparse, nothing did any good and finally my parents took me home with the knowledge that probably I would never walk again. Nothing could be done to improve movement to my arms and arthritic hands, so we expected life to be a 'no go area'. By this time, my father had moved to a country town, Frome, near Bath, Somerset, so I came hope to a new home and lifestyle.
It was now 1939 and little did we know it but life was
to change beyond recognition for everyone. Meanwhile, I had learnt to walk
again, gained in health and accepted the fact that I would never be completely
fit and made the best of what I could do. While attending the local Catholic
school, I discovered the Gospels and wrote to the priest at school for help. As
I read his letter in reply, I knew in a flash that here was the Church founded
by Christ, but to become a Catholic I would have to leave home. The war did me
a good turn in that the Admiralty Drawing Office was forced to move to Bath and
I was appointed 'Tracer' (a post made redundant by the photocopier) and I went
to live in a hostel in Bath.After a few months I was received into the church. This action, as expected, caused another great outburst from the family. As I was under 21 years old, Dad gave me permission, Mum never did. I was not welcomed at home, and only visited for Christmas.
Now followed a few years of great activity. I had a
good safe job, my own flat, heaps of friends, worked 'with youth' in the
Guide Movement, running units and
taking many to camp throughout Salop. Also, as a Legionnaire of Mary, I visited
many old and sick people etc etc. After the war there was an outburst of prejudice against anybody or thing that was not perfect. Several priests had told me that no Religious Order would accept me, my vocation was in parish work, but the urge to do something became very great in spite of my telling the Lord that he had the wrong person. I would never give up my work within the Guide Movementand that was final! So when a Vocations Exhibition was opened in London, I went to show Him just how wrong He was and how right were the priests!! I walked around the exhibition, not really paying much interest; after all, I knew the answer. Having passed many stalls,
I came to one which had a beautiful picture
of Our Lady. I am sure she stopped me and turned me round, so that I saw large
photos of Sion Sisters very clearly in charge of Guide units. God had won!!! By
September of that year, I was a novice in Sion. It is now 2006 and last January I celebrated my Golden Jubilee, 50 years as a Sister of Sion. It has been a wonderful life; as I look back over the past years, I can now see how God's love and plan has been with me all the way.
If anyone reading this feels that God might be calling them to Religious Life - go for it - and if it turns out to be the right path, you will never regret it