I was adopted into an Anglican family when I was a few months old. My mother used to sing me songs about Jesus but as they got older I think the faith slipped away. I came to the Lord through the Rosary when I was 29. When I first became Catholic I never thought about being a religious Sister - absolutely never!

Even though, in the natural, I didn't feel any desire for religious life, I remember a Sister asked me if I'd like to become a nun and because of how I felt I said, "no way!". Coming from a Protestant background it had never even seemed like an option to me. Nevertheless, I went into the church and prayed, "You know my heart, Lord, you know what I want, but let it be Your will, not mine."

The very thought of a vocation left me with panic attacks and anxiety; I was bent on marriage with a man I was deeply in love with and there was no way I would become a Sister... but God obviously had other plans. At the beginning of 2010 I was very unhappy. Even though I had been involved with my parish, I felt a certain disconnection of purpose and meaning to my life and just wanted out. I realised I was not ready for marriage and even though I loved my boyfriend very much, I felt I had to end the relationship.

I went to Alice Springs for my final social work university placement and, to be honest, things just went downhill. Instead of embracing the sacrifice He asked of me, I responded with anger and neglected my relationship with Him. By the end of my placement, I was unhappy. Those few months after I came home to Sydney, although they were unimaginably hard, were a very special time with the Lord because He showed me the depths of His love. In those few months, I found myself clinging to Him in a way I had never done before and the Cross became very healing for me.