I was very privileged to receive Australian citizenship on 26 January, 2016. This is a great joy for me and also a joy for the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters who have been present in Australia, especially in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, for six years.
I acknowledge all the love and support of my friends who encouraged me to make this happen. This step also makes me feel humble and I acknowledge God’s providence and company in my journey.
In June 2009, the General Superior of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Congregation designated four Sisters from Vietnam to come to Australia to work in Sugarloaf Parish. This is the second community which the IHM Congregation has abroad after Japan. There are 47 communities of Sisters in the Congregation which was established in Nha Trang Diocese in 1958.
The IMH Sisters have different ways of ministering in any parishes where they are called. However, reaching out to another country is indeed difficult, and different from what we experienced in Vietnam. Having been in Australia over six years and with the diocese's support, we were encouraged to overcome situations to build a foundation so that this would be one of the communities where the Sisters could stay and work.
Becoming an Australian citizen begins a new stage for me and this will also happen for five other Sisters in later years. This allows me to commit myself to contribute my service in this diocese as long as the Congregation wishes. Therefore, becoming citizen in a second nationality is not just my decision but also a plan of my Congregation, allowing all of us who are working in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle to continue to be present and minister here.
To help us to minister, we have taken training courses to study pastoral ministry and education, so that step by step, we are qualified to be involved in caring and working in the diocese with people who have different cultures and traditions. For me, this is not only interesting but also a challenge and I’m still striving and learning. Nevertheless, I constantly place this dream into God’s hands and then will do my best every day to find joy in serving and sharing God’s love with people whom I meet. The more I experience the more I understand about the life in this country which is now my home.
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