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| Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart will present a lecture, “From Baghdad to Boston: A Journey under the Shadow of Our Lady” on Thursday, May 7, at St. Christopher Parish in Verona. (Contributed photo) |
VERONA — Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart will speak in the Spring 2015 St. Thérèse Lecture Series on Thursday, May 7.
She will be presenting a talk entitled, “From Baghdad to Boston: A Journey under the Shadow of Our Lady.” The lecture will be given at St. Christopher Parish in Verona at 7:30 p.m.
Experiences in Iraq
Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart, founder and mother servant of the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth, was born and raised in Iraq. She lived through four wars.
In 1993, as a young lay woman, she started a lay movement called Love Your Neighbor. She invited young men and women from Christian and Muslim communities to be part of this community to serve the needs of the poor in Iraq.
In 1995, she established the order of Marth Maryam Sisters-Missionaries of the Virgin Mary, the first order of Religious Sisters in the Assyrian Church of the East in 700 years.
In her homeland, Mother Olga was involved in pastoral ministry for college students and youth in the parishes throughout Iraq. She also served prisoners, homeless, elderly, and the disabled for many years. The Iraqi government gave her the Humanitarian Award for her service to the poorest of the poor there.
She has a bachelor’s degree in biology and hematology from Arbil University in Iraq and a master’s degree in philosophy and theology from Babylon College, which is affiliated with the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome.
She also has a diploma in Islamic Studies and a certificate in Theology of the Body.
Came to United States
She came to the United States in 2001 for her studies, receiving a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from Boston College.
From 2002 to July 2011, she was involved in campus ministry at the Catholic Center at Boston University. From July 2010 to July 2011, she was named the university chaplain for the Roman Catholic community at Boston University.
She was received into the Roman Catholic Church on September 8, 2005, in the Archdiocese of Boston. Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, OFM received her perpetual vows on December 8, 2005.
She received the Religious Sister of the Year award at the 2008 Boston Catholic Women’s Conference. In 2010, she received the Saint Paul the Apostle Award from the Office of the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults of the Archdiocese of Boston.
In 2011, she received an honorary Scarlet Key Award from Boston University. She received the Bowie Kuhn Special Award for Evangelization at the Legatus 2012 Annual Summit.
In 2009, Cardinal O’Malley gave her permission to start a new apostolate on the Boston University campus called Nazareth House. It is a house of prayer and discernment for young women.
New community
In 2011, Cardinal O’Malley entrusted to her the mission of establishing a new Religious community of Sisters in the Archdiocese of Boston, the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth.
They have an apostolate to serve the faithful through the Corporal Works of Mercy and pastoral care. They offer evangelization opportunities through conferences, parish missions, and retreats. They provide instruction on Theology of the Body, teach in Catholic schools, and serve in religious education programs in parishes.
For more information on the lecture, go to www.madisondiocese.org or call 608-821-3160. Listening devices will be available for individuals with a hearing impairment.