Gloria Calabrese, fcJ
Primary School Teacher
My name is Gloria Calabrese and I am on the left in this photo with Cecilia Connolly, fcJ. I have been an FCJ sister since 1974. Having trained as a primary school teacher beforehand, I have spent 22 years in the company of little children, in England, Belgium and the Channel Islands. I have always had a strong conviction that it is a privilege to work with children who are such uncompromising and challenging reminders of Jesus’ words: ‘Unless you change and become like little children, you cannon enter the kingdom’.
Our life as FCJs requires that we respond to the needs and challenges of the time, so recent years have found me studying in Dublin, working in our care home for the elderly in Salford and accompanying novices in London. The Gospel challenge to follow Christ wherever he calls, is a powerful one, which can at once demand all our courage and fill our hearts with great love, peace and joy.

Bernadette Coughlin, fcJ
Secondary School Teacher
My name is Bernadette and I live in Gumley House Convent, Isleworth, Middlesex. I joined the Sisters Faithful Companions of Jesus two years after qualifying as a teacher of physical education and mathematics. As an FCJ sister, I have taught in a number of schools in England. In addition to teaching mathematics, physical education, ICT and religious education, I have been a pastoral team leader, head of year and acting head of mathematics. Presently, I teach mathematics and ICT at Gumley House School.

Although I do get great satisfaction from seeing pupils making progress in mathematics and ICT, my greatest pleasure is in being involved in the lives of the pupils and their families. The pastoral side of teaching has always attracted me. As a pastoral team leader in Middlesbrough and a Head of Year in Upton, I had great scope for getting involved with pupils, their parents and families. This is where I believe that as an FCJ, I can make the greatest impact. I want to facilitate the overall development of all pupils and not simply their academic achievement, although that of course, is important. I want to companion with pupils and their families, not just in the academic realm.

During the last few years, my ministry has involved the accompaniment of young women, during their period of postulancy. Postulancy is a period of initial formation during which young women may live in an FCJ community, discerning whether or not God is calling them to the way of life of a Faithful Companion of Jesus. Very recently, I accepted an invitation to serve on the FCJ Provincial Council of the British Province. This is just another aspect of my ministry.

In the formula of the FCJ constitutions (C16) we are reminded that although we devote ourselves to certain ministries confided to us by our foundress, above all we are Companions of Jesus whose lives must reveal him to the world. This is a great challenge, and one to which I must always strive to rise.

Katherine Frost, fcJ
Secondary School Teacher

It is said that being in love gives one energy to enjoy everyday and to enter into the pain of the world. I think I have been madly in love all my life!
I have enjoyed everyday teaching History, Geography, Scripture and RE first in Adelphi House Grammar School for Girls, Salford. This included retreats in Liverpool and Leeds: geography field work in the Lakes where we climbed Helvellyn, and in Wales where we climbed Cader ldris, among other things!! Trips to Walsingham and Silts in Austria. I was so young then!

Then I taught in The Newlands School, Middlesbrough – the same subjects as well as Religious Education in the Marist Sixth Form College, located beside us. There were lots and lots of retreats in Salford and Minsteracres - what memories and fun! I was head of Rievaulx House and loved the mix of boys and girls in the School.

On to Preston, to Cardinal Newman Sixth Form College situated on the Lark Hill site which had previously held our own Secondary School. There were about a thousand Sixth Formers, all full of energy and desire to know themselves and take on the challenge of life. I was part of a wonderful RE staff and ran a Third World Group. There were retreats in Castlerigg and Ushaw, Taizé and Lourdes as well as hundreds of UCAS forms and discos at Tokyo Joes! What wonderful memories and so many past students with whom I keep contact - what a privileged life to touch so many young people.

I retired from teaching in 1997 and moved to Liverpool, where I volunteered in our two Schools in the area: Bellerive FCJ, in Liverpool and Upton FCJ, on the Wirral. I also helped with Asylum Seekers in this area and was involved with three summer schools in Romania.

In August 2003 I was given the opportunity to have sabbatical time and I spent it with our Sisters in Manila, Melbourne and Yogyakarta in Indonesia. It was an enriching time which I really appreciate. I came to Glasgow in November 2003 where I lived until coming to Gumley.

Elizabeth Philips, fcJ
Retired Head of School

After teaching for two years at Skipton, twenty years at Poles, Hertfordshire, three years at The Hollies, Manchester and thirteen years at Chorlton; I retired to Gumley, where I now live.

I look after the Sacristy and do the flowers in Chapel. I get rooms ready for visitors and look after their needs. I keep up with some of the past pupils of Poles and Gumley. I have done some research into the history of Gumley House. I do my best to answer the queries of visitors who are interested in the history of Gumley House and in the lives of the people who have lived here.

Anne Marie Ryan, fcJ
Hospital Chaplaincy

My main apostolic work for the past six years has been visiting patients in the West Middlesex Hospital. I do this as one of a group of volunteers attached to the chaplaincy, which is ecumenical. We are a small groups of 9 or 10, enlarged two years ago to include Muslims and Sikhs. We meet together regularly both socially and for input and have personal supervision from one of the chaplains.

One or two wards are allocated to each volunteer visitor to visit once a week at least. I have had experience of helping in both medical and surgical wards including the children’s wards, where very often it is the parents and relatives who most appreciate the contact and the chance to chat. My most rewarding work has been in the geriatric wards where there are several long term, very needy patients. Loneliness is common among these patients, some of whom have no visitors or relatives. The knowledge that they can never return to their own home is a bitter cross for many. I visit all the patients in my wards, not just the Catholics and in this way I discover the ‘shy’ Catholics – those who have lost contact with the Church. I always bring the Blessed Sacrament with me so I can give Holy Communion when needed. At the moment we have no Roman Catholic Chaplain. We have to rely on the generosity of the local clergy, few of whom have time to spare. Hence the great need for volunteer visitors.




Maura Foley, fcJ
Parish Worker

I am a member of the Parish Team at Our Lady of Hal Church, Camden Town. This is a deprived and very lively area of North London, only fifteen minutes walk from where I live at St. Aloysius Convent FCJ.

Our church is one of the few churches in the area open all day and every day. There is a constant flow of people coming in to pray quietly and light a candle or have a snooze! Our parishioners are multi-cultural. The Portuguese centre, served by their own chaplain is based in the Presbytery. We also have a number of Irish, mainly of an older generation.

At our Sunday morning family Mass there is a great variety of people, young and old of varied nationalities and colour, including Filipinos, Afro-Caribbeans and Asians. It is a very lively Mass showing how all-inclusive is our Parish.

As a Eucharistic minister I visit people in their homes. I accompany those who are bereaved. Parish catechesis plays an important role. The Sacraments are all prepared for through the Parish. I am involved mainly with the RCIA Programme (the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). Each Easter we have had five or six young adults received into the Church.

On a daily basis, tea and sandwiches are served to the homeless – about seventy men and ten women. This is done by parishioners on a rota basis. I am on duty every Wednesday. Marks & Spencer’s and Prêt-a-Manger provide food. However, our clients prefer our home made cheese sandwich and sausage, thanks to our local butcher.

I have been working at our Lady of Hal over the past four years. What attracts me most is the openness and inclusiveness of the Parish. I feel it is a good place to be, for living ‘with conviction and joy the vision of Marie Madeleine, appreciative of God’s call to make a difference in the world’. (Acts of FCJ General Chapter 1998)

Gertrude Hodkinson, fcJ

My name is Gertrude Hodkinson and I live in St Aloysius Convent, Somerstown, London. I visit the RC Primary schools in Camden , promoting Mission Together, the childrens branch of the Associaion for the Propogation of the Faith (APF). My aim is to encourage the children to take an interest in the lives and well being of children worldwide. The APF motto is Children Helping Children, and we ask our children to Pray and Share. Each year we focus on children in a different country.

I give assemblies and presentations in school and encourage staff and pupils to raise money for different projects. Through my work I have become well known in the local area and I am often greeted with “Hello Sister, Children Helping Children!”