The charism of the Society of the Sacred Heart is to respond to God's call to discover and reveal His love, carrying out this mission in communities throughout the world through the service of education in its many forms.

In 2000, Natalie Houlihan started as a candidate with the Loreto sisters. She will take her final vows in 2012. This long journey has led Natalie through personal formation, teaching and most recently to educational and pastoral work in a Teachers College in Timor Leste.

For those who are called to religious life and choose to respond, it is to choose a deep and intimate relationship with God. This relationship leaves us free to love God and at the same time work in the apostolate of our chosen order.

My advice to a young person discerning a vocation would be to listen to God in prayer. Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament is a powerful way to listen to God speaking within. Having heard the call, go forward with courage and trust in the love that God has for you and know He will nor fail you.

I joined the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1986, and was professed in July 1989, so have been a Sister for 23 years. My order was founded by Australia's First Saint, Mary of the Cross MacKillop together with Fr Julian Tennison Woods in South Australia.

As Missionaries of God's Love, we seek to bring the love of God to all people, particularly the young, the marginalised and those unfamiliar with the gospel. Moving under the grace of the Holy Spirit and the Charismatic Renewal, we seek to lead people to a rich personal relationship with Jesus.

How I came to be an FCJ Sister (Faithful Companions of Jesus)

"The Lord is my Shepherd" rings gently in my heart as I attempt to share something of my story as a Pastorelle Sister, and to say something on the charism of the Pastorelle Sisters who were founded in Rome, in 1938, by Blessed James Alberione , a man who was prophetic in recognising the immense contribution the media could make to the proclamation of the Good News, and who had a great appreciation of the complementarity of men and women in mission.

The first time I remember admitting to myself that I had a vocation, I was about nine.

On July 28 2011, we had the honour and privilege of attending the First Profession of Vows of our eldest daughter, Michelle - who has taken the religious name Sr Mary Helen (after Mary of the Cross Mackillop), in the congregation of the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia, in Nashville Tennessee USA. This took place at the beautiful Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville.