Margaret Walker I was born in Sydney, the eldest of five children. We had wonderful parents and a large extended family noted for their humour and love of music. With my three sisters and brother we were blessed with a secure grounding in our faith and were always involved in our very close parish community of St Joan of Arc Haberfield where I attended primary school. My secondary education continued with the Presentation Sisters at Domremy College Five Dock and then I studied Accountancy. The nightly family Rosary and the Presentation Sisters instilled my initial love of Mary which was reinforced by the Marist Fathers at The Marist Chapel and St Patrick’s Church Hill when I commenced working in the city. After some years living and working in England and Italy I returned to Australia and worked for Vogue Australia until my marriage and the birth of our children. Not long after our first baby’s birth we moved to Hunters Hill, a Marist parish where I became involved in the St Vincent de Paul Society and studied for a time at the Catholic Theological Union. I spent 12 years working with the Marist Fathers at the Marist Mission Centre where one of the Directors, Sr Vivienne Goldstein sm, introduced me to Marist Laity. I then worked for the Australian Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes (now Catholic Religious Australia) where I met so many wonderful religious who, through their example, showed me another Mary. And now I am the Business Manager for the Marist Sisters back in Haberfield where I belong! Having spent the past few years caring for ageing parents and relatives I drew often on Mary’s patience, strength, listening, guidance, understanding and caring and thank God for the skills learned many years ago caring for my disabled children. As the mother of adult children and more recently a grandmother to Grace and Ava I feel I am “settling” more into being truly Marist. For me it is about relationships, with God and people, in Mary’s way. And I am a member of St Mary’s Singers and sing in St Mary’s Cathedral – Mary certainly features in my life!! |
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