The new life Sr. Michaela made for herself
7 February 2015, published by LITTLEROCK.com.mt
From Satan to Salvation: the incredible story of Ekklesia’s Sr Michaela went viral two weeks ago, creating a nationwide talking point. As one reader rightly pointed out in the comments section:
"If you are tempted to argue the existence of God or the Devil or to comment on drugs and hallucinations or mental state, feel free... but you would be missing the whole point. Here we have a girl who has passed through hell to the point of suicide! Can you even begin to conceive the pain and anguish? And now you have a woman with immense love in her heart who has helped, and is helping, the community enormously. She has had a lot taken away from her and she did give her life, not by ending it, but by dedicating it to good."
That good is the focus of this follow-up article: with so much having been revealed about Sr Michaela's past, we felt it fit to reveal her present. With her usual humility and good humour, she graciously granted LITTLEROCK.com.mt another interview. "Having become a bit of a local celebrity does not bother me; the only thing is that I find it a little embarassing and tiring that wherever I go I am noticed and stopped to be greeted or asked questions." Perhaps this article will serve to appease the public's curiosity....
Sr MichaelaNaturally, the first question I asked Sr Michaela was how it felt to her when she first joined the Ursuline Sisters of St Angela Merici and started a new, vocational life.
"It felt somewhat difficult. I was not accustomed to staying indoors for long periods, as well as obeying orders and strict rules, asking permissions for the slightest thing and having no liberty at all. We were in three when we joined on 6th December 1988. Our day was full, with only one hour's rest in the afternoon. We woke up at 5.00am and went to bed at 10.00pm. If we received a phone call, our Novice Mistress would be called to answer first. If we received a letter, it would be open by the Novice Mistress previous to being handed to us. We wore only what was given to us. Even if we wrote a letter, she would read it before posting. We never carried any money. Our family and relatives had permission to visit us only once a month. It was hard to adapt, but I felt at home and peace beyond understanding. The routine helped me greatly and I loved prayer time and community time. All this has changed throughout the years and our postulants are no longer under such restrictions."
Sr Michaela went on to describe how, as a postulant and novice during the first three years of her religious life, she did all kinds of work in the Sliema community (formation house): she cared for children, worked in the kitchen and refectory, helped in the preparations of mass and the cleaning of the church and convent in general and also helped in the laundry. She worked in Sliema for 25 years, as for 22 years after that she was teaching at their St Angela Nursery after acquiring a Diploma in Montessori teaching practice as well as various other certificates in nursery administration. She was assigned the position of Assistant Superior at Angela House in Gwardamangia in May 2013 to date.
Thoughout all those years, she describes the best moment ever as "the day of my first profession where I embraced the vows of Obedience, Chastity and Poverty and my named was changed from Angela to Sr Maria Michaela. We all carry the name 'Maria,' as our congregation is consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In my diary, on that special day, I wrote: 'This is the first day of the rest of my life.'"
It would seem however that, these days, all of Sr Michaela's days are good days, as she says that she feels inspired to sing almost all the time!
"I love singing. When I'm not singing, I am listening to music. Music is my life; we also sing during mass, prayer time and sometimes during recreation as a community, and we meet as a choir to rehearse and record music for our upcoming new CD release."
And that is how she came to form part of the Ekklesia group of sisters who sang "Love and Let Go" at the Malta Eurovision Song Contest. The song is about when it is time for the children to leave the crêche and the care of the sisters; Sr Michaela describes her experience of this:
"It is hard to explain how I feel when the children leave our homes: it's a mixture of great joy and sadness. Great joy because our aim is to work hard enough with their families so that they will be able to return home and live happily and safely; sadness because somehow we grow to love them so much that we obviously miss them terribly. Seeing their empty beds and the things they leave behind gives us a feeling of loss, but we immediately pluck up strength when we divert our thoughts to thinking that we did our best for them; we loved them endlessly and will continue to do so. We also keep in touch with many of the children who leave, especially the older ones. When the parents comply, we also keep in touch with the younger children's progress."
Far from being a drug addict or Satan worshiper, these days Sr Michaela's future aspiration is to become a saint! She quotes St Peter's gospel 1:15,16, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am Holy.'"
"There is nothing else I wish in life but to love Him, serve Him and make Him known everywhere and with everyone," she concludes.
"If you are tempted to argue the existence of God or the Devil or to comment on drugs and hallucinations or mental state, feel free... but you would be missing the whole point. Here we have a girl who has passed through hell to the point of suicide! Can you even begin to conceive the pain and anguish? And now you have a woman with immense love in her heart who has helped, and is helping, the community enormously. She has had a lot taken away from her and she did give her life, not by ending it, but by dedicating it to good."
That good is the focus of this follow-up article: with so much having been revealed about Sr Michaela's past, we felt it fit to reveal her present. With her usual humility and good humour, she graciously granted LITTLEROCK.com.mt another interview. "Having become a bit of a local celebrity does not bother me; the only thing is that I find it a little embarassing and tiring that wherever I go I am noticed and stopped to be greeted or asked questions." Perhaps this article will serve to appease the public's curiosity....
Sr MichaelaNaturally, the first question I asked Sr Michaela was how it felt to her when she first joined the Ursuline Sisters of St Angela Merici and started a new, vocational life.
"It felt somewhat difficult. I was not accustomed to staying indoors for long periods, as well as obeying orders and strict rules, asking permissions for the slightest thing and having no liberty at all. We were in three when we joined on 6th December 1988. Our day was full, with only one hour's rest in the afternoon. We woke up at 5.00am and went to bed at 10.00pm. If we received a phone call, our Novice Mistress would be called to answer first. If we received a letter, it would be open by the Novice Mistress previous to being handed to us. We wore only what was given to us. Even if we wrote a letter, she would read it before posting. We never carried any money. Our family and relatives had permission to visit us only once a month. It was hard to adapt, but I felt at home and peace beyond understanding. The routine helped me greatly and I loved prayer time and community time. All this has changed throughout the years and our postulants are no longer under such restrictions."
Sr Michaela went on to describe how, as a postulant and novice during the first three years of her religious life, she did all kinds of work in the Sliema community (formation house): she cared for children, worked in the kitchen and refectory, helped in the preparations of mass and the cleaning of the church and convent in general and also helped in the laundry. She worked in Sliema for 25 years, as for 22 years after that she was teaching at their St Angela Nursery after acquiring a Diploma in Montessori teaching practice as well as various other certificates in nursery administration. She was assigned the position of Assistant Superior at Angela House in Gwardamangia in May 2013 to date.
Thoughout all those years, she describes the best moment ever as "the day of my first profession where I embraced the vows of Obedience, Chastity and Poverty and my named was changed from Angela to Sr Maria Michaela. We all carry the name 'Maria,' as our congregation is consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In my diary, on that special day, I wrote: 'This is the first day of the rest of my life.'"
It would seem however that, these days, all of Sr Michaela's days are good days, as she says that she feels inspired to sing almost all the time!
"I love singing. When I'm not singing, I am listening to music. Music is my life; we also sing during mass, prayer time and sometimes during recreation as a community, and we meet as a choir to rehearse and record music for our upcoming new CD release."
And that is how she came to form part of the Ekklesia group of sisters who sang "Love and Let Go" at the Malta Eurovision Song Contest. The song is about when it is time for the children to leave the crêche and the care of the sisters; Sr Michaela describes her experience of this:
"It is hard to explain how I feel when the children leave our homes: it's a mixture of great joy and sadness. Great joy because our aim is to work hard enough with their families so that they will be able to return home and live happily and safely; sadness because somehow we grow to love them so much that we obviously miss them terribly. Seeing their empty beds and the things they leave behind gives us a feeling of loss, but we immediately pluck up strength when we divert our thoughts to thinking that we did our best for them; we loved them endlessly and will continue to do so. We also keep in touch with many of the children who leave, especially the older ones. When the parents comply, we also keep in touch with the younger children's progress."
Far from being a drug addict or Satan worshiper, these days Sr Michaela's future aspiration is to become a saint! She quotes St Peter's gospel 1:15,16, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am Holy.'"
"There is nothing else I wish in life but to love Him, serve Him and make Him known everywhere and with everyone," she concludes.