We present below the results of a simple questionnaire distributed to young women religious and novices. The very first item they had to fill in was: “The person who inspires me most.”
Who do you think inspires our young religious and novices most? Who are their greatest heroes and heroines?
Try guessing. Then, have a look at what the young sisters and novices actually wrote.
By far the commonest answer was….MY MOTHER.
Out of thirty-one respondents, seven said they were most inspired by their mothers. Another four mentioned both parents. If we add these four to the seven, then, Mother gets 11 votes out of 31.
Father gets a distant second place! Four places under “parents” and one who mentioned Father.
Three sisters or novices mentioned Jesus as their main source of inspiration.
Two mentioned Brother. Another two mentioned Mother Teresa.
One each mentioned the following persons as their main source of inspiration: Mother Mary, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Alphonsa, Grand-mother, Uncle, Aunty, Teacher, Sisters and Priests in general, Sisters who worked for the poor and visited their homes, President Abdul Kalam, a Friend.
Particular sisters or priests were mentioned by seven respondents—each one recalling a specific person they admire.
These findings are not surprising.
When Friends Magazine of Chennai conducted a survey among one thousand young people spread over ten centres in India some decades ago, the results were similar. Mother came first among the persons who had the greatest influence on the young persons’ lives. Father came next.
It may look as if young people are crazy about film stars or cricketers or famous pubic figures for a while, but the persons with the deepest impact on their life are their parents, especially their mother.
Even for us, religious and priests, who go through years of well-planned and highly structured, full-time formation, the influence of our parents outweighs that of superiors and formators. I am more influenced by my mother and father than by my novice master or provincial.
To give concrete face to numbers and theories, here is a touching true story.
I asked a Sister known for being a loving and inspiring formator, “Which is the ministry in which you were happiest?”
Her reply surprised me: “Working among leprosy patients.”
“Really?” I said, “I would find that very difficult.”
“I really felt very happy doing that,” she told me, with a warm smile. “I would clean their sores, bandage their wounds and look after them.”
“How did you develop this love for leprosy patients?”
“From my mother.”
“From your mother? How? Did she volunteer to work for leprosy patients?”
“No. But, when beggars came to our house, my mother treated them so lovingly. Very often, she would ask them to sit, and serve them a meal, and talk with them.”
You will know such incidents.
Almost nothing matches the influence of mother and father. Even when children seem to ignore or reject parents’ advice (as can happen in teenage), they are watching and absorbing a lot. Later, they will say, “My mother used to do it this way,” “My father used to say this…”
If we, priests and religious, are as good as our good family members, and live our priesthood and religious life with the prayerfulness, dedication and sacrifice many of our parents bring to their marriage and parenthood, we would be wonderful religious and priests. Agree?
So, kudos to our parents—especially to our mothers!
Novices and junior sisters, you are admiring the right stars!
(I thank Sr Mariola Sequeira MSA for gathering the responses of the junior Sisters and novices..—Editor)
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