It is fitting to start this series of ‘featured sisters’ with our oldest Sister, Sr. Muriel. She is pictured doing a simple task of putting the cards together with the envelopes. But be assured that she is praying for the people who will come to our Centre and buy these cards! Sr. Muriel is renowned in Athlone as being a powerful intercessor for the many people and situations she meets. She is never without her tiny pencil and scrap paper in her pocket where she writes the names of the people to pray for.
As she edges gracefully towards her centenary years, she is as enthusiastic and committed to being involved in our liturgical ministry as she was when she was asked to begin our mission in the Vatican, with a small souvenir shop up on the roof of the Basilica back on 1st of May 1953.
We asked Sister Muriel to share with us about her experience of the liturgical ministry:
What do you like most about the liturgical ministry? I like that is very important and like a second school for us. We keep learning. By striving to understand how we can serve people better, we need to pray, and this helps us deepen and understand the liturgy. It doesn’t leave us indifferent. By understanding the liturgy more, we love it more and want other people to love it too!
What do you think people experience when come to the Liturgical Centre? People find something different, prayerful. It is not like a regular shop. They love to come and talk even if they don’t buy anything. They ask for prayers and they trust we pray for them. And we do- it is our duty! It is a blessing to be part of this ministry and what it asks of us. People should feel they want to be closer to God after visiting our Liturgical Centre, when they see all the different items. And we can help them if they want to be closer to God but first of all, we must be close to Him first!
