By Ingrid Dalton USA 12.08.2026
Editor’s Note: After an unexpected delay in Turkey due to travel restrictions in the Middle East, Ingrid continues her story about Turkey.
On this visit to Turkey there were two distinct occurrences that came as a surprise to me, and they were of spiritual matter. The first surprise was at dinner at an authentic Turkish restaurant near the Bazar. The energy I picked up as we walked in was positive and gave a sense of societal togetherness. Mostly local guests and a very small number of tourists. The food and service were exquisite and the traditional music with its middle eastern tones was soothing. One musician played a zither and the other an oriental type of guitar. As we watched, people engaging in conversation and socializing while enjoying a water pipe (hookah). Suddenly a whirling dervish appeared. I was overcome with joy since I am a great admirer of the mystic Sufis and their founder, the great poet and mystic Rumi. I was taken in by the dance of this monk. The habit he wore, his movements and whirling were so reverend, his footwork so precise and accomplished alongside the music that turned more into sacred sounds, so divine. The Divine allowed me another glimpse of a way towards spiritual ecstasy.
The other surprise came in Ephesus. Once it was decided to stay in Istanbul, I suggested a journey to Ephesus. Suddenly, I was drawn to this ancient place. From church history it was also known as the place where Jesus’ mother lived in her final years. For orthodox and catholic Christians Mary is known as the Blessed Mother, or the Virgin Mary, and the Muslims honour her as the Virgin Mary, the mother of the Prophet Jesua. Ephesus, now in ruins with several monuments like the 2300 years old reminiscence of a library, the ancient city that the Goddess Artemis protected, where the Greeks and Romans reigned, becomes vivid in one’s mind and maybe memories of a past life. It certainly is worth seeing if one loves ancient history.
Then came the unexpected. Our driver took us to the house of Mary – Meryem Ana. Upon arriving, one walks up a path towards the shrine. I was immediately drawn in by its simple yet powerful serenity, surrounded by trees, singing birds, like walking in a magical garden or woods. Walking up the path, I would only whisper when engaging in conversation. I felt as if I was not in this world, everything around seemed disconnected, surreal. It was a place of its own floating universe. It became to me a “woo woo” moment, a word we use in metaphysics when something supernatural occurs. The crescendo of my journey. Walking in that sacred space, I immediately felt this extraordinary energy of calm and peace.
This entire trip was meant to experience fellow humans during Ramadan, the Sufi and to meet Mother Mary in her former worldly home. What if – the original trip wasn’t cancelled? I would not have had this experience so necessary for my soul, an experience out of the ordinary, an experience to know that love and hope are essential to our worldly existence. Life interceptions always happen for a reason. The fact that we were so calm upon arrival in Istanbul was a sign that we were at the right place at the right time.
Ingrid Dalton is a widow and retired. She lives with her two cats in Georgia, USA, and enjoys writing, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
by Nadia Ramoutar MMM Communications Coordinator Ireland 08.08.2026
I am at the hospital with my elderly mother in A & E, some parts of the world call it the Emergency room. It is hectic, loud and there are not enough beds for all the patients or professional staff to deal with them in this busy city. My mother is having trouble breathing and she has arrived by ambulance. We have been here overnight – and she still does not have a room.
My older sister is coming to relieve me soon, She has to take her oldest son to the airport. On the phone, her voice is strained and she feels guilty that she is not where I am. I am ringing to check on my own son. I am acting calm and reassuring my mother she is in the best place.
I check my emails. Why? I don’t know it’s really not helpful. I should eat something but I am trying to watch my weight. I have an annual check-up with my GP in a few days and I know I have probably gained weight on my holidays recently. I am annoyed with myself. Someone is yelling down the corridor. And instead of feeling upset by it, I try to have compassion for them that they are distressed.
The truth is I also feel like yelling or crying or something, but I can’t. I stay calm and be kind to my mother who is watching me closely because she does not trust the medical staff. I am the canary in her coal mine. If I am calm then she is calmer. If I lose it she will go sky high. So I won’t.
Recently, I listened to a podcast and heard the term “Window of tolerance” . It is a metaphor, introduced by Dan Siegel, a psychologist in 1999. Sometimes we are in a space where we can no longer cope. This is useful in realising that feeling overwhelmed is part of life but a many headed monster that can cause a variety of responses in people. We all have different responses to overwhelm depending on many factors.
Some of the symptoms of feeling overwhelmed:
- Irritability and Anxiety.
- Feelings of Hopelessness.
- Difficulty Concentrating.
- Sudden Mood Swings.
- Withdrawal From Social Activities.
The challenge is that some of us can’t see out the “window of tolerance” to acknowledge that we are not in a good space – sadly this can lead to choices which actually make life harder for us. In acknowledging my overwhelm I am able to cope better. I can use the techniques or ways to make myself feel less overwhelmed. I take a short walk and go and get a coffee. I find a quiet place and I take deep breaths. I cry a little if it helps. I call a kind friend.
Overwhelm can be crippling but it is rarely permanent. Knowing our window can help us to grow it and make us more compassionate to ourselves and other people.
by Sr. Margaret Anne Meyer, MMM USA 05.08. 2026
Around this time Dareda Hospital was handed back to the Bishop of Mbulu. Sister Sheila Berthiaume stayed on for a few years more. Sr. Inez Mc Grath offered to stay with her. Sisters Margaret Garnett, Mary Friel, Catherine Fallon, and Vincent Pallotti opened a Health Clinic in Nangwa.
Sr. Mary Swaby came to Makiungu to relieve Sr. Dolores Kelly in the pharmacy. Sr. Dolores was not well and had fractured one of her vertebrae while traveling to Tabora to buy medicines. She healed with bed rest and analgesics and became well enough to go on Home leave. Investigations showed that she had weakness of her spinal column due to treatment for tuberculosis as a young sister. Sister Dolores always said she had done her retirement first and preferred to stay on the Missions. Upon her return, our Community and herself agreed on a few mutual conditions to make this possible. We would offer her the best treatment available to us. We had no facilities to do a hip replacement. Sister Dolores agreed to use a cane when walking. She even picked out her grave site which was on the Mission Church Compound. Sister Benedicta and Sr. Dolores were inseparable companions for one another and enjoyed long walks together. Every one of us was delighted that Sr. Benedicta could bring so much joy to her life.
One day, I received a letter from the Congregation, asking me to consider going to Nigeria. Sr. Cecily Bourdillon had volunteered to go to Sudan. I was asked to pray about this to see if this were God’s will for me. I was happy where I was. A little voice inside said ‘Go’. Our constitutions say, “Go where you are sent.” I had a year and a half to think and pray about it. God gave me the grace to say yes. It was not easy to leave because around this time Sr. Maureen Mc Dermott suffered a relapse of cancer. She went home for treatment and returned before I left in August 1989. Sr. Marian Scena came from Kabanga Hospital to relieve me. The hospital was left in very capable hands and thank God it has continued to flourish and help many people. As of now it is in the hands of a priest administrator under the auspices of the Bishop of Singida.
By Vera Grant AMMM Ireland 01.08.2026
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We say it every day, maybe more than once a day, but do we forgive those who have hurt us in whatever way?
This thought has resonated with me since reading about the anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day) on August 15th. There is also VE Day (Victory in Europe). However the latter does not name it as victory over Nazi Germany.
Germany, whilst not named, has apologised and by the actions of the Chancellors, Willy Brandt, followed by Angela Merkel, in opening their country to the migrants have shown true remorse for their attempt to eradicate Judaism. Has the world forgiven them or is it reminded every year on VE Day of the atrocities in their country?
Japan is named and that must be so hard for its people to be singled out and yet there is a long history. In China where I taught for a year, 2013 – 2014, I was shocked at the strength of feeling in young people against the Japanese. Japan’s occupation and the massacre that happened in her capital city, Nanjing, is one of China’s darkest moments. For those of us in the West who watched the film ‘The Bridge On The River Kwai’ it brought home the harshness and cruelty of the Japanese Military.
What has made it fester in China is the view that Japan has never admitted responsibility, nor did they ever truly apologise for their brutal campaign. When the Chinese say “We are not friends, we never were”, there is no forgetting or forgiving.
Japan has made some apologies but not enough for the Chinese people who feel it is lacking in sincerity especially when they say that they didn’t invade but went to help China build a new order.
The question has now to be asked of America, who, to this day, has never apologised for their use of nuclear bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I was there and visited both memorials. It was a very sad and emotional Journey and brought home the suffering and devastation of the people and their land.
America feels justified in that they had no choice after the attack on Pearl Harbour to bring an end to the war. They succeeded when Japan surrendered in 1945.
It all seems a very long time ago and still today we have the ongoing 4-year war after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and more recently America’s war on Iran…justified again by the president to halt the deployment of nuclear weapons ….those very same weapons that were used against Japan.
Nothing has changed, there seems to no forgetting or forgiveness and do the VJ Day commemorations only heighten the horrors of war, fuelling anger and hatred?
The world seems a scary place and we ask ourselves “what can we do?”
By Ingrid Dalton USA 29.07.2026
What if you have planned for a long time a journey to an extraordinary place, a country you have dreamed of visiting and finally it has become a reality? The preparation for the trip, the anticipation for all the sightseeing, the excitement of what’s to come, and then three quarters towards your destination, the entire tour was cancelled? This happened to me recently. My destination was Egypt. A country with its ancient history and fascinating places I dreamed of exploring.
My flight was from Atlanta, Georgia, to Istanbul, and on to Cairo. Shortly after arriving in Istanbul, my travel companion, Elizabeth and I were notified by our travel agency that the U.S. State Department issued a travel ban to Egypt due to the war in Iran. We just notified our families that we arrived safely in Istanbul and awaiting our next flight to Cairo. Minutes later, we had to inform them that the entire trip was cancelled. For an odd reason, we both were calm and not at all worried about what to do next. Since we were stranded in one of the most fascinating ancient cities where part of it is built in Europe and crossing the Bosporus in Asia, we decided to stay for six days and visit some sights. For me the highlights were the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Palace and Harem and the Basilica Cistern.
Mostly, I was impressed with the Turkish people. From the hotel staff to wherever we went, the people were so friendly and kind. Since I’m a Reiki practitioner, feeling and sensing energy is an integral part of my life. Everyone or anything I come in contact with; I picked up its energy and Aura. For example, visiting the Hagia Sophia, the energy of this magnificent structure, the many people of diverse background, the men and women in prayer, the gorgeous stained-glass windows and the artful tiles on the walls, the enormous, vaulted ceilings, all these mixture of energy stirred in me emotions of reverence, peace and gratitude of being there. It was the holy month of Ramadan, and one could experience the kindness of people in the way their reveal the seriousness of their faith.
Behind the Hagia Sophia is located a beautiful park, where at sundown the believers broke their fast by gathering with family and friends, sharing their meals on the grounds like a picnic. The atmosphere when the call to prayer was announced from the minaret of the Hagia Sophia, was breathtaking, the energy of all the people gathered there was such an expression of love, peace and joy that it took my breath away. Moments like these remind me how close we are to our belief systems and as a human family. There is always hope for a better world.
Ingrid Dalton is a widow and retired. She lives with her two cats in Georgia, USA, and enjoys writing, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
by Sr. Margaret Anne Meyer, MMM USA 25.07.2026
To mark the celebration of our 50th Jubilee in 1987, I tried with the help of a local teacher to write a play about Mother Mary. It was a mime with the presenting scenes spoken in Kiswahili. The pre-nurses and midwifery students acted it out very well. Some of the scenes I recall were one of the male ward orderlies carried a nurse down the stairs, representing Bishop Moynagh and Mother Mary when she was transferred to Port Harcourt Hospital. All the white veils and suitcases available were loaned to the nurses and students to portray Mother Mary waving off the newly trained Sisters to Africa.
On May 1st, the feast of St Joseph the Worker. the Pallotine Fathers celebrated a beautiful Mass in the open courtyard of the new OPD. A delicious meal was served to all the Staff and invited guests. The play was part of the festive celebrations. We thanked God that Bishop Winters had invited the MMM Sisters to work in Makiungu. In 1954, Sister Eileen Carmel Keogh and Sister Kieran Saunders started an OPD, and the hospital grew steadily since. The Wanyaturu dancing is very skilled and beautiful. The elders danced at the close of the celebrations and brought us to oneness in our praise and thanks to God.
Life continued in a hectic manner. We sometimes had three hundred patients for 120 beds. I asked the Staff Nurse in the male ward how she managed, and she told me she doubled the men in a bed. One at the head, the other at the foot. Thank God it did not happen often; just when the floor space was all used.
Another serious disease we treated was tuberculosis. In the early eighties, a new form of treatment was discovered which was much easier to take and was provided free of charge by the government. Because the local people had some of their lively hood involved with cattle, the children drank infected milk. Many had enlarged glands, and some had tuberculosis of the spine. One young girl was admitted with huge bed sores. She had been playing leapfrog in school. Another girl sat on her back and broke her spine. Her father said he was terribly upset that the principal allowed such a rough game to be played. I told him I had played it myself at school. It was not so rough, but I thought that his daughter’s back had been infected with tuberculosis, and this was the cause of the break.
Unfortunately, the delay in coming for treatment interfered with the healing process. I asked the child if she had made her First Holy Communion. She said she had been going for lessons but stopped when she was unable to walk. Our parish priest brought her Holy Communion. We had prepared a little altar with candles and flowers. I will never forget the ecstatic joy on her face as she received Jesus in Communion. It was as if Jesus Himself appeared to her. Her course after that went downhill despite all our efforts to save her.
Tuberculosis appeared in many bodily areas I had never even thought of. One woman appeared to have a fungating cancerous growth on her breast. The histology report came back Tuberculosis of the breast. One man developed tuberculosis in the metatarsal bone of his foot. We thanked God for the availability of this free treatment for tuberculosis and tried our best to eradicate it.
by Nadia Ramoutar, MMM Communications Coordinator 22.07.2026
Recently, I was talking with someone who is a history scholar and the topic of slavery came up. He felt confident that slavery no longer really occurred in the world. But, based on my work with the MMM Sisters for over five years, I knew this was not the case. When asking the question “does slavery still exist in our world?” the answer is sadly yes, for almost 50 million people. That number has increased over the past few years, and it appears that cases are increasing instead of declining due to more poverty, famine and political violence in the world.
Perhaps when we think of slavery we only have the chattel slavery model that the British used in transporting slaves to the Americas, but there are many other forms which unfortunately are still going on today.
While travelling to visit the MMM missions in Tanzania, I met many communities members who were attending a community conference on preventing human trafficking. Many parents, grandparents and community leaders were gathered to discuss what could be done to stop any more children being lured by human traffickers. It was shocking really to realise the threat many children were under because basically they are poor. Also, it was disturbing to learn that in many cases a family member is the reason why a child or person is trafficked into slavery. Often the family member might not understand the dangers they have just sold someone into – and sometimes they do but their own tragically poor life clouds their decision making.
Where are most slaves from and where are most of them going? The Global Slavery Index (GSI) provides national estimates of slaves in 160 countries. I am fortunate to live in one of the ten least likely countries in the world to have slaves – but in Ireland we recently saw two men convicted for trafficking people to our country and restraining them against their will. It is shocking to know that in almost every country in the world, people are being mistreated and exploited. A look at the GSI index shows that many wealthy countries are the heaviest users of modern slaves.
It is also disturbing that 70 percent of modern slaves are girls and women, so many are trafficked or help against their will and being used for sexual purposes. There are many MMM Sisters involved in efforts to prevent sex trafficking and also to help and treat victims afterwards. The truth however, is that not enough is being done. We need to more in improving and implementing laws. There is little being done to get ahead of this heinous trend. We need to find ways to help communities protect their most vulnerable people and keep them out of slavery.
It’s hard to fight an invisible enemy. The lack of knowledge about modern slavery makes it easier to trade people against their will. That’s a trend we can all help end by educating ourselves.
by Sr. Sheila Campbell, MMM Ireland 18.07.2026
Recently I listened to a sermon where the priest was saying basically, “we are right and they are wrong”. He was talking about the excommunication of a group of traditionalist Catholics. Inside my head I was thinking, “But from their point of view, they are right and we are wrong!” Oh, dear, I thought to myself, how do we ever get to distinguish the truth if everything becomes relevant.
I don’t often spend sleepless nights pondering on these philosophical questions, I assure you! But just teasing it out a little I do think it does no harm in occasionally taking a look at a situation from the side I don’t agree with.
I will give a few examples – Holocaust deniers, climate change deniers and anti-vaccination people. I do truly believe that the Holocaust happened, that climate change is here whether we like it or not and that, overall, vaccinations have been beneficial.
What do I learn from looking at why these people take the opinions they do? One thing is that it brings out a more compassionate side in myself. Most people have been shaped by their upbringing, culture and other people who have been influential in their lives. It helps to see what formed them, and the context in which these opinions emerge. Certainly, in current times every conspiracy theory is amplified and spread rapidly via social media. Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could spread kindness, generosity and care for other just as easily!
There is only one truth that I cling to, and it steered me daily through all the muddle of our world of heated debate and tension. God loves me, just as I am, warts and all and as Julian of Norwich said, “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. “
by Vera Grant AMMM Ireland 15.07.2026
Having been unable to get to my usual Saturday’s Vigil Mass I decided to go on the Sunday morning at 10am. It’s the children’s mass and there is a junior choir accompanied by the more senior folk group…all very enjoyable and the music with violins, guitars, keyboard and some flutes can be very uplifting.
I was reminded that the First Holy Communion had been on the previous day when I saw the white dresses appearing in the aisle. I say appearing as it was a cloud of white froth and the children couldn’t get into the pews but had to wait in turn for each mother to navigate the girls slowly and sideways to move and position themselves into the seats. It was like being at a concert and watching the dignitaries in their finery, glide slowly to the reserved seats in the front rows.
At the back of the chapel I sat, watching all, soaking up the excitement at this real sense of an occasion and tried to remember what it was like for me on my own First Communion. Nothing came to mind about the day itself, but what forcibly hit me was that each one of these 8-year-olds had already made their first confession in preparation for the big day. I wondered if they had been like me?
I remembered vividly that day. I was 7 years old as we received the sacrament in Primary 3 and not, as now, in primary 4. So being younger, we were led by the teacher to the chapel where the priest waited in his confessional box. We sat in rows, moving up one place after another until it was your turn. By then I was so nervous, I was afraid that I might forget something and not make a good confession as we had been taught. I was embarrassed too, that I had so many sins that the priest might keep me for ages or he might shout at me. Nothing like that happened, he was lovely and listened attentively to all I had to tell him until he told me to say my act of contrition and granted me absolution.
I opened the door and stood to let the next person enter before kneeling down to say my penance. I felt like a saint, cleansed of all my sins and thought, “I am never going to sin again“. We had to wait until the following week for the First Communion Day when we too could put on our white dresses. For me that was one of the longest and hardest weeks ever. I didn’t want to commit any sins, and I tried so hard to be good, to do what I was told, no arguing, no answering back, no faces and definitely no fighting or name calling with my sisters. I was being so pious that I thought I could become a nun when I grow up.
Alas, temptation got in the way and every night saying my prayers I was telling God how sorry I was and that tomorrow I would do better. I smiled at this picture of the ‘young me’ and thought, nothing has changed! Every day brings new trials and temptations, tempers get frayed, annoyance and frustration seep in and before you know it you are back on your knees promising God and yourself that tomorrow is a new day and I will do better.
by Sr. Harriet Mutonyi, MMM Uganda 11.07.2026
My internship at Serenity Centre, here in Entebbe, Uganda, has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. There are lessons that books can teach and there are lessons that reality teaches. Reality teaches in a way that leaves a lasting mark on your mind and heart. Before coming to Serenity Centre, I thought I understood addiction. I had attended classes, read books, listened to lectures. I believed I knew what addiction looked like and who was most vulnerable to it.
However, my experience here has challenged many of my assumptions. One of the biggest surprises for me was the issue of peer pressure. Peer pressure is often discussed in relation to children and adolescents. Yet, at the Serenity Centre, I have met grown men and women whose journeys into addiction began through the influence of friends, workmates and social circles. Some started drinking simply to belong. Over time, what started as a social activity became dependency that affected their health, relationships and livelihoods.
Another misconception that was shattered was my understanding of addiction itself. Like many people, I used to associate addiction mainly with alcohol and drugs. Today, I know that addiction is far broader than that. It can take many forms including behavioural addictions such as gambling, internet use, gaming, social media, shopping, food, sex, pornography, work and exercise. Beyond these are emotional and relationship addictions, where individuals become dependent on validation, attention, relationships or unhealthy patterns of attachment.
What struck me most was seeing people from all walks of life struggling with addiction. I met individuals who were respected in their communities, successful in their careers and influential in society. I met young people from families that seemed to have every resource necessary to protect them from harm. Yet addiction had found its way into their lives. It reminded me that addiction does not discriminate. It does not respect social status, education, wealth, profession, age, tribe or religion. It can affect anyone. It means that none of us is completely immune. If we honestly examine our lives, many of us may discover unhealthy attachments or habits that have gained more control over us than we would like to admit. They may not all be visible or socially condemned, but they exist. Addiction is often closer than we think.
As one of the saints wisely said, “There goes I, if it were not for the grace of God.” Those words remind us that our circumstances are not solely the result of our own strength or wisdom. The struggles we see in others could easily become our own struggles under different circumstances. Instead of condemning those who suffer from addiction, we are called to extend compassion, understanding and support, recognizing our shared human vulnerability. This is why addiction should not be approached with blame, condemnation or indifference.
My time at the Serenity Centre has taught me many lessons, but perhaps the greatest is this: every choice we make today has consequences tomorrow. In life, there is always a “few moments later.” The habits we nurture today become the realities we face tomorrow. The decisions we make in private eventually reveal themselves in public. The warning signs we ignore today may become the crises we struggle with tomorrow.
Reality has indeed slapped me directly in the face. Yet I am grateful for the lesson. It has made me more compassionate, less judgmental and more aware of the struggles people carry. It has reminded me that addiction is not simply about substances; it is about people, pain, choices and hope. And above all, it has convinced me that when we join hands, support one another and seek help when needed, recovery and healing are always possible.
