by Sr. Jo Anne Kelly MMM                     Ireland       12.07.2024

For some years I held the position of Vocation Directress.  It was a very special time in my life as I met numerous beautiful, enthusiastic young women who felt God was calling them to religious life.  First of all they were all trying to discern which Congregation they would join.  The first indication I would receive was a letter in the post requesting information about Medical Missionaries of Mary.   It was before the time of mobile phones and computers.  Many areas did not yet enjoy a reliable supply of electricity but the postal service was good. Some would write quite a lot of information about themselves, others little or nothing.   I answered every letter, and sent basic information and encouraged them to keep in touch.  Some continued the correspondence and then I would meet them or invite them to “Come and See” and we would go from there.  The majority of those writing had found our address in “The Ambassador” a publication produced by a then new Missionary Society which included, among many other things, a list of addresses of all the Religious Orders and Congregations in the country.

One day I got a letter with a difference –a brown envelope with a prison stamp on the back.  It was from a man, asking for information about MMM.  It was a nice letter but I was puzzled.  I wondered if this man was on the prison staff and writing on behalf of his daughter or young sister.  But in that case I doubted if he would put on the prison stamp.  However, I didn’t really know what to think.  I answered the letter, gave him the basic information and told him if he had some young woman who was interested in joining MMM I would like to hear from the girl herself.

After some time I got a reply, again a brown envelope with the prison stamp on the back.  He explained he was a prisoner, accused of a serious crime, was convicted and was now on “death row” waiting for execution.  Because of his misdeeds his family had disowned him so he had no visitors and had very little communication with anybody and nothing to read.  He was lonely and feeling very guilty.  A priest came in sometimes to say Mass but he did not go there.  However the priest left a copy of “The Ambassador” and there he found the addresses of all the religious orders.  Hungry for some communication he wrote to many of these addresses hoping someone would reply.  To date I was the only one who sent a reply and he was so grateful and hoped I would continue.  I wrote back as nice a letter as I could and encouraged him to talk with the priest if possible.

I had one more letter from him, in which he mentioned God for the first time and he had talked to the priest and hoped to continue doing so.  I answered that letter too, but there were no more from him.   I wonder if his time had come!

I prayed much for that man and hoped that he had found some awareness of God’s presence and a sense of forgiveness and peace.
I looked up the meanings of ambassador and one definition is “an official messenger of good will, good news”.   Ambassador publications were known in parishes all over the country and were very popular.   I hoped that particular “Ambassador” was a message of good news for that man.

I am reminded of St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians which says “we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us, to be reconciled to God.”

A reflection in my Missal on this Sunday’s reading says “Let us be sensitive to all kinds of people and situations through which God may be showing us his will.”