On September 18th 2005, in Bray, Co Dublin at the Holy Redeemer Church, Bray, Orla Treacy celebrated her Final Vows.

Teresa MacPaul and Orla

"Cherish God's vocation in you, let it be constant, efficacious and loving... I am assured God will help me and mine wherever we are..."    Mary Ward.

Gathered from a conversation with Orla this summer:
 
Orla’s life choice is a response to a call by God to go deep inside, a call to love, a call into freedom, a call to allow God to take the lead.  Life is for living each day, it is about being different, about making your mark and Orla has discovered that the best way for her to do this and to be herself is as a Loreto sister.  She feels the need to respond to the desire in her heart in this way.  She desires to be a contemplative in action, sees her life as an affirmation of the value of space in a busy world.  She feels called to follow Mary Ward’s way who was faithful in the face of opposition.  Today there is a different kind of opposition but it still demands the same spiritual response. Faith, hope and love are still the three great virtues.
 
Orla desires a life rooted in the values of Jesus, a life of love and freedom and wants this with others. The Loreto sisters offer her this.
 
Rite of Religious Profession
On Sunday, September 18th, Orla made her public commitment before God, before Sr. Teresa, the Loreto sister’s representative and all God’s people by reading our vow formula.  This formula is the same for every Loreto sister around the world and dates back to the time of St. Ignatius of Loyola in the 1500’s.
 
Having proclaimed her vows, Orla received a ring.  Orla decided in this ceremony that her parents would bring this ring to the altar, give it to Sr. Teresa who would then place it on Orla’s finger as a sign of her full commitment to God in Loreto.  Every Loreto sister chooses a motto which is engraved on her ring, something that speaks of her unique commitment to God.  Orla has chosen a Mary Ward saying, “Love and speak the truth”
 
Each ring is engraved with the name of some patrons, people who have gone before us as an example for us to follow.  Orla chose Bishop Oscar Romero and St. Therese.
 
Bishop Oscar Romero was martyred in the 1980’s because of his work for Justice in Central America.  St. Therese is the patron saint of missionaries which is very apt for Orla, who along with three other Loreto sisters, will go to Southern Sudan in the new year to found a new Loreto mission there. 
 
Orla choose the readings and hymns for the mass and had many people involved in the various parts of the ceremony.  Orla is a past pupil of Loreto Secondary School, Bray, Co. Wicklow and the choir at the  ceremony were the students from there. 
 
After the mass, everyone was invited to refreshments in the Parish Hall.  Invited guests, made up of Orla’s family, her Loreto sisters and friends, celebrated in style in the local hotel, The Royal, that evening and into the night. 
 
This was a great celebration, not only for Orla but for all those who are part of her life.  It was a great day and one which amazed some, and enthused others. Orla was described by many as radiant.   
 

For more about this story go to www.loreto.ie