Vocation and the single, lay Catholic woman
Kitty McKinley
The source of my vocation as a single lay Catholic woman is the gospel of Luke 4: 18-19.
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
This is my call – my personal invitation to share in Christ’s mission. It is a vocation blended with my God-given personality, life and family experience and within the political and social context of my upbringing and time.
A child and youth of the 1960s and 1970s I was informed by the peace, social justice, equality and ‘let’s work to make our global village a better place dream’.
In the Catholic Church a smiling, liberating John XXIII opened up the institutional windows and commissioned me and other ordinary people as unique, essential members of the pilgrim people of God. I was to play my part to bring about the reign of God as priest, prophet and leader.
Liberation theology provided the intellectual and faith paradigm and basic Christian faith communities were the bridge and vehicle for transformation.
Living out this radical call was not in a careers’ pamphlet. So how did an idealistic ‘hard-out Catholic’ young person find a path that paid the rent? Social and community work was my option. Firstly as a Social Worker at Catholic Social Services and then, as the Founder of Challenge 2000, I said ‘yes’ to my vocation to live Luke 4 on the margins of society with some of the most poor, suffering and disadvantaged oaf Aotearoa New Zealand. This ‘YES’ is a privilege and life giving. It can also be very hard and painful.
My vocation has changed and deepened over time and now as well as doing hands-on ministry I have a role of forming the many young Challenge 2000 Catholics and life searchers who wish to live out their missions as priests, prophets and leaders. For this reason I completed a Diploma in Pastoral Leadership and a Diploma in Theology to complement my previous professional training. My passion for ministry continues to be fuelled by the energy of prayer, regular retreats, scripture and the counsel, advice and example of wise holy people who faithfully lived or live the gospel.
I have been anointed by the Spirit to be a living word of God. These are challenging times to have a Luke 4 missionary vocation. Poverty, captivity, oppression and blindness are rife. Yet the signs of goodness, life and hope are there. Pope Francis calls us to open the doors of our Church and lives, to be a passionate, serving, risk-taking, loving, joyous Church. To proclaim this is the Lord’s year of favour. It is a great time to be part of the Church that Christ’s mission has – a mission and vocation to love. I know deep inside that love works.
Kitty McKinley is founder and trustee of the Youth Development and Family Centre for Challenge 2000, based in Johnsonville, Wellington.