My name is Karen,
I was baptised at the age of twenty three and was not a cradle Catholic like many of my peers. I chose to become a Catholic and had two full years of Instruction before being Baptised on August 22nd 1992. One thing that stands out most for me about this day is that one of the parishioners came over to me after the ceremony and said. “You could die right now and you’d go straight to Heaven!” I was hoping that wouldn’t be the case! But it made me realise that I was close to God in a way I’d never known before and that I was joining a family; not just a group. Even before I was Baptised and long before I even had the inclination, I felt a stirring in my heart; one that I couldn’t explain, to ‘do something for God.’
I realised of course, years later, that what I was sensing was a yearning, a calling to do something with my life - perhaps now I’d call it a knowledge of a vocation. I went in loving trust wherever the Lord asked me to go and I always asked the question. ‘Where is God in this?’ That’s really my motto for my life.
I love reading; books are a passion of mine; writing short stories and the occasional poem. I also enjoy studying and learning as much as I can about other cultures.  Karen will be joining our Oxford community.

My name is Siobhan and I come from Chesterfield in Derbyshire. I spent eight years studying mathematics at Oxford University, first doing a masters and then a doctorate. After finishing I spent a year as part of Jesuit Volunteer Community:a volunteering programme that enables young adults to work for social justice in British inner-cities, whilst committing to living in community, with a simple lifestyle and exploring their spirituality. During this year I lived in Birmingham and worked with asylum seekers and refugees in the city, mainly helping to teach people English.   Siobhan will be joining our community in Newcastle. 

Hi I’m Katie and I have just joined the Society of the Sacred Heart as a candidate. I will be living with three other members of the community at Barat House with six students and I’m really excited about it as it will be an opportunity to grow and be inspired by others, but also to develop some of the gifts God has given me. The desire to give my life wholly to God came quite soon after I returned to the church in 2006/2007 having been lapsed during some of my early twenties. My personal vocation is to love people and my deepest heart’s desire is to walk with people being an example of God’s love in their lives. Quite where this will lead me and what my Lord might have me doing I don’t exactly know, but I have an open mind and heart and trust him completely. So I’m very excited!  Katie will be joining Barat House community in Roehampton.