The Sisters of the Good Samaritan have been woven through the story of Gemma Light’s life. This treasured relationship took a new turn recently when Gemma became a Good Samaritan Oblate.
By Debra Vermeer
Gemma made her Oblation in a liturgy held in the chapel of Lourdes Hill College in Brisbane on 19 April, surrounded by Sisters, Oblates and family.
“The ceremony itself was really beautiful and then there was a wonderful celebration in the main dining room afterwards, with a lot of gift-giving, both from me to the Sisters and also I received gifts from the Oblates. It was really special,” she said.
Gemma first came into contact with the Sisters when she was a child through her much-loved aunt, Good Samaritan Sister Marie James Lane, and continued the association while attending Mount St Benedict College in Pennant Hills, Sydney.
Having been born into a family where she experienced love and compassion from both her parents, Gemma’s life has also included many challenges.
In words she prepared for the Oblation Ceremony, Gemma said that throughout her life, God’s love was always a felt presence for her.
“There was love and hopefulness, my dad’s gentle kindness, love, compassion and humour, and my Mum’s love, compassion, strict rules, sorrow and trauma. There was separation, triumph, confusion, drama, alive grief, death grief, hurt and pain. There was Church and there was God as my friend at all times,” she said.
“Then there was Mount St Benedict College, right in the middle of it all, and my Aunty Marie (Sister Marie James Lane of the Good Samaritan Convent), the one who always reached out to me and made me feel loved when I was at the lowest ebb of my life.
“Along with my faith in God and love from Aunty Marie, I took refuge in God’s help and healed my life’s journey.”
The deepest challenge of Gemma’s life came when she had to give up her son for adoption.
“That had a big impact on my life and Aunty Marie reached out to me with a beautiful letter, and she always, always had me in her sights throughout that time,” Gemma told The Good Oil.
“Since then, I’ve gotten to know the family that adopted my son. I met my son when he was 12 years old and we’ve become a big extended family.
“So, when I referred to ‘alive grief’ in my story, that was what I was referring to; the separation from my son. But my son is now 45 and doing very well in Melbourne and there’s contact all around, so it’s all love and there’s happiness there now.
“The Lord Jesus Christ has been my best friend all the way … and the support I received from Aunty Marie was an inspiration for me to hang on to throughout it all.”
Gemma said that when her Aunt passed away, she felt an urge to communicate with her on a spiritual level, so she researched the Sisters of the Good Samaritan and discovered the Oblates about two-and-a-half years ago.
“Before that, I never knew that Oblates existed, so it was great to learn all about it and go down that path,” she said.
Right from the beginning of her Oblate journey, Gemma said she felt fully committed to the final outcome.
“From the minute I walked in that door, I was committed. There was no question. I wasn’t just inquiring, I was committing myself all the way. I followed what had to be done in terms of the process and eventually worked through the approved formation program and made my formal commitment as an Oblate,” she said.
Gemma Light (left) with Sister Eugennie Levinson SGS.
Gemma was accompanied in her Oblate formation journey by Good Samaritan Sister Eugennie Levinson of the Lourdes Hill community and attended regular meetings with the Lourdes Hill Oblate Group.
“Everyone in that group, both the Sisters and the other Oblates, have all been very welcoming,” she said.
“It’s really beautiful to share the meetings once a month. It’s a place where you can go and be free to talk about being with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can talk freely with other people on the journey, and they understand where you are coming from.”
The formation in Good Samaritan Benedictine spirituality helped reinforce what she had experienced as a student at Mount St Benedict College but had not understood fully at the time.
“I think that the Benedictine spiritualty and the Rule of St Benedict makes you more conscious of everyday living. It’s a reminder that we need to be there for our neighbours,” she said.
“The other big thing for me in Benedict’s Rule is the call to listen. I’ve always listened to people, but now I’m more aware of my listening. It’s taught me to actively listen to others and to get out of my own self and look to the needs of others. It’s a simple thing and when you do it, you think, ‘Why didn’t I do this more often and more consciously before?’”
Gemma said her Oblation ceremony was enriched by the presence of her sister, Julie, who was able to reconnect with one of her teachers from Mount St Benedict, Good Samaritan Sister Sonia Wagner.
“It’s nice to touch base with people that knew you when you were a teenager. So, that was really beautiful,” she said.
As she addressed those present, Gemma said that her journey towards becoming an Oblate was a testimony to the love of God.
“I am thankful I found my way to the Good Samaritan Oblates and the companionship with others who have their own relationship with God, yet together we form one with God,” she said.
“It’s beautiful, peaceful, joyful, hopeful and loving. It’s God’s plan!”
If you would like to know more about Good Samaritan Oblates or find out more about connecting, click here.
