Sr Patricia McLaughlin DC

 

 

On February 5th, 2010, Sr Patricia McLaughlin DC left Fiji after 10 years of service to the Fijian people.  On the occasion of her departure,  Fr Joseva Tuimavale CM has drawn attention to  two reflections:

 

REFLECTION FROM GABBY AND ROSIE

We have been lucky enough to have spent the last three months living in the Daughters of Charity, Nausori, Fiji Islands community and what an experience it has been. It’s hard to believe our time here is drawing to a close, we keep asking ourselves where has the time gone, but then we remember all the wonderful things we have done, the amazing experiences we have had, the once in a life time opportunities and the treasured memories we will forever hold close to our hearts.  

Firstly we never dreamed of living overseas together, or spending such a long time in Fiji or spending so much time with sisters. However through an amazing chain of events that is exactly what happened. We are both university students in our final year of a Primary teaching degree. We are both volunteers with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and both were lucky enough to have participated in WYD 2008 where this all really began.  

It was here we met two young Vincentians from Suva, who we became quite good friends with. So a group of five of us from Sydney traveled to Fiji in February 2009 to visit them as well as the Vincentian missions and of course to have some fun in the sun. We had such an amazing time we jumped at the opportunity to come back to Fiji in July to be apart of the Golden Jubilee celebrations in Natovi. February was when we first met Sr Patricia and Sr Kath and we were lucky enough to stay with them for a few days when we returned in July. During our short time with the Sisters, we began to hear stories about the amazing work they both do serving the people of Fiji.  

All five of us who were present for the celebrations in Natovi were blown away with what we saw. We all fell in love again with the beautiful culture the unique customs, traditions and rituals the Fijian people do so well. We were overwhelmed by the Fijian hospitality and the feeling of belonging. None of us wanted to leave. It was from this experience the desire to spend more time in Fiji arose. So we contacted Sister Patricia and asked if there was a need for two young volunteers and of course Sister with her openness invited us to stay with the Daughters.  

When telling people of our plans, there was often the response of surprise as many Australians look at Fiji as a holiday destination and know it for its beautiful beaches and luxurious resorts. Trying to convey there was a need to serve the poor was a little hard also because we weren’t quite sure of exactly what we would be doing. However, we put our trust in Sister and decided to come to Fiji with an open mind and heart and be ready for anything. 

One of the main surprises of working with Sister Patricia, is just how hard she actually works! It is sad to say but she has more energy than both of us put together. Sister Pat gave us many opportunities to visit different works of the daughters and to meet many friends of those, both those the Daughters serve and those that help to fund the works. Sister liked to think of us as her secretaries so we had great fun answering phone calls, responding to emails, answering the calls at the door and running errands around town. We also got to visit some of the villages where sister has provided so much support.

During our time we were able to see one of these projects get up and running. The installation of bread ovens in Waikete and Matainoco village was a project initiated by Sister and funded by the Californian Rotary club. We saw the initial stages where the materials were being collected and followed the project through to the building of the ovens in the villages and then finally the tasting of the delicious bread. This project will provide an income for a family while servicing the need of their village.  

We were also able to help out with the setting up of a new kindergarten in Matainoco village. We met with the kindergarten teachers, went with them and Sister Pat to purchase furniture for the kindy and we watched the empty room transform into a vibrant, colourful place of learning. 

An unexpected surprise has been working at St. Joseph the Worker Primary School these past few days. We turned up Monday morning expecting to observe how a Fijian classroom operates, however the School secretary was away so we were given the job of replacing her and were thrown in the deep end immediately. We had to take school fee payments, sell textbooks, answer the phone, photocopy and do any other jobs the headmaster requested. We were then separated with Rosie remaining in the office while I was sent up to class 6. I was given a class of forty Fijian kids to supervise all on my own!! I made it through the afternoon and on Tuesday while Rosie continued her job as office lady I returned to class 6 for a full day of teaching, or more like crowd control. This has been a fantastic learning experience for me and I have really enjoyed getting to know the students. Amongst all the teaching that took place we managed to have some fun as I taught the students some songs from Australia. By the end of our music lesson all the students were up singing, dancing and laughing, it was a great way to end the day. 

Amongst all this work the sisters did allow us some time off and it was here that we made lifelong friends. We have been totally accepted into the parish community and many families opened their homes to us. We have enjoyed strolling around town and saying hello to the people we know. We have been so blessed to be able to sit, relax and yarn with the parishioners and get to know each other on a one on one basis.  

We have felt very privileged to have been here with Sister Patricia as her time in Fiji came to an end. We witnessed firsthand the love the Fijian people have for Sister and how she has touched the hearts of so many people.

This experience has definitely brought about some changes for us personally. We have learnt so much about Fiji, the culture, the people, as well as what it means to truly serve the poor. We have learnt compassion, love and generosity from the Daughters of Charity. We have also learnt that it is important to take time to spend with loved ones. Family is so important to Fijians and they spend a lot of their time together and really enjoy yarning with each other. For Rosie and I as blood sisters we have learnt a lot about each other and this experience has definitely brought us closer together. We came to Fiji as just sisters but we will be leaving as Best Friends.

Our time here has inspired us to continue to be open to experiences of serving the poor; we have found that we have received back tenfold what we have given out. We cannot thank Sister Patricia and Sister Kath enough for opening their home to us; they have both ensured that we have had an amazing three months. Our thanks go out to Sister Pauline for giving us her blessing to be a part of the Daughters of Charity community.

Vinaka - Gabby and Rosie 

Fiji Islands 2010

 

 

REFLECTION  FROM MAI LIFE MAGAZINE

This reflection has already been posted on the website of the Daughters of Charity Australia Website and can be read by going to the link  Farewell to Sr Patricia McLaughlin DC

Note:  Photo above is courtesy of the Daughters of Charity Australia Website