My name is Ghazia Akbar and I am from Pakistan. I am a Christian, a Catholic and a member of the Institute of the Daughters of St. Paul, founded by Blessed James Alberione. My parents, who surrounded me with love when I was a child and who continue to do so today, are devout Catholics. I have seven siblings: four brothers and three sisters. My family still lives in my home parish.
My calling to the religious life dates back to 1999 when a several Daughters of St. Paul arrived in my parish to visit the families with their publications. It was the habit of my father to invite religious visitors for meals, so he extended this invitation to the sisters. I had just completed my high school studies and wanted to join the army. In fact, at the time of the sisters’ visit, I was at home waiting to be called for an interview with a representative of the military.
The sisters noticed me and invited me to join their way of life, but I had no wish to become a nun. My aspiration was the army, not the convent. I wanted to become a soldier, not a Sister. This was why I remained silent to their invitation. A month later I received a phone call from the military, inviting me to come for the interview. When I went to the recruiting office, I was given some material (books and a CD) with which to prepare for an exam. I returned home exceedingly happy because my dream of becoming a service woman was coming true. Little did I know that this joy would be short-lived. When I reached home, I received another phone call–this time from a Sister named Shamim, a Daughter of St. Paul. She invited me to participate in a “Come and See” program at their convent. Her call did not make me happy and I did not want to go, but my Dad encouraged me to do so.
It turned out to be a wonderful experience. I got to know about the Institute’s Founder, Fr. Alberione, Co-foundress, Sr. Thecla Merlo, and the mission that the Congregation carries out throughout the world. I also had the chance to see the community life of the Sisters and the mutual love and understanding that existed among them. I needed time to reflect about all this and while I was doing so I continued my college studies. The Sisters kept in touch with me during that whole 2-year period. When I finished college, I made up my mind: I would become a Daughter of St. Paul. I entered the Congregation on the 20th of August 2002.
Once in the convent, I made it my home: my superiors, who were firm yet gentle, became second parents to me, and the Sisters with whom I lived became my new sisters. With them, I experienced the same overflowing joy and happiness I had lived with my biological family. Lest I create the impression that I have had no challenges in the convent, I want to say right away that I have had my share of challenges and difficulties right up to the present, but the Lord of the vineyard has being gracious to me and has not allowed me to stray away from him. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit; who works in unfathomable ways, I received the grace to make the right choice in life. My personal interest had been to serve my country in the military but the Lord redirected my path and moved me toward the religious life, where I can now serve not only a single country but all humanity for the rest of my life.
As I look back on the years I have spent as a Daughter of St. Paul, I feel extremely happy and I thank God for the privilege of being called by him to serve in his “army.”
Ghazia Akbar, fsp