Sister Joan Gormley

by Dr. Iain Corness

You would never imagine that a nun would have an exciting career, but Sr. Joan Gormley’s life shows that she has been all over the world, in theatres of war and even being challenged when her rosary beads sent off an airport metal detector!
Sr. Joan was born in Galway, Ireland, which she described as then being, “The Isaan of Ireland”. She was the second child in a family of 10 in a strong catholic rural community. Her father was the local builder, and with eight children, her mother stayed at the hearth doing that most difficult job being a housewife. That Sr. Joan still has a deep connection to Ireland is still obvious. A quick peek at the CDs in her office turned up Tony Kelly’s “Ireland’s Call”, and in another stack of videos, one simply called “Jesus”.
The family was not rich. “I suppose I was poor, but I didn’t know it. We were a happy family. Poverty is relative, but in big families there wasn’t a living for everybody, which is why so many emigrated.”
Her parents understood the value of education and Sr. Joan was sent to boarding school as there was no secondary education available locally. “This was tough for our parents, but all of us got secondary schooling.”
During this time, her school would be visited by nuns telling of their work, and two nuns from the Good Shepherd Sisters impressed the young Irish girl. She had already felt that she would like to be a nun, but did not know how or where. The Good Shepherd Sisters changed all that. I asked Sr. Joan if the family pushed her towards becoming a nun, but she vigorously denied it. “In catholic families it was not unusual. However, my mother would have liked me to stay in the family longer.” Even when she embarked on her initial training her father told her mother, “Don’t worry, she’ll be back in a few weeks.” Those few weeks have become several decades, so I hope the family isn’t still waiting!
As Sr. Joan had decided she wanted to be a missionary, she went to the ‘Moter House’ of the Good Shepherd Sisters, which was in France. There for the next three years she received her spiritual training. “This was a new experience of God. I learned deep values for life, the sweetness of prayer and the desire to be with the marginalized. I knew this was for me.”
Next she went to UK for four years nursing training. She was already a religious sister and finally a nursing sister as well. A kind of Sister Sister Joan Gormley!
Even after all those years, she still had to return to ‘boot camp’ as Sr. Joan called it, to study for her final vows. “I enjoyed it, I learned new things,” said Sr. Joan with humility.
Now a fully fledged and committed Good Shepherd Sister she awaited her first posting, which was to Malaysia for five months. “Malaysia was a good introduction to Asia for me, and English was spoken.” However, after that she was then sent to Vietnam. It was 1958 and the undercurrent of trouble was already being felt in the villages. By the time she left in 1970, she had been air-lifted out of their convent to the (relative) safety of the American compound.
She left it to the Order to decide where she would go next, and returned to Malaysia for the next four years. After this it was Bangkok where she spent another four years, but then returned to Ireland to study rural development in Dublin. This was to equip her with further knowledge to understand and assist the marginalized rural poor, and with this two year study course under her belt, she was sent to an area well known for its poverty – Nong Khai in the north of Thailand, where she stayed for 10 years.
However, it was not yet the right time to come to Pattaya, and went to Hong Kong to work there for six years. During this time she visited many of the SE Asian countries. “It was my duty at this time to visit and encourage Good Shepherd missions in those countries. The bonus was I could experience the culture, history and what motivated people of these countries.”
About this time, the mission in Thailand was developing, “And for the first time, I asked for an assignment,” said Sr. Joan. The Good Shepherd Sisters work with marginalized people, especially women and children, and Sr. Joan could see the need in Pattaya. It was 1996, and Pattaya still had the reputation of being something of a ‘wild west’ (or should that be ‘wild east’) town.
The Fountain of Life Center for needy children was in a small overcrowded shophouse. The need was far greater than the facilities. It was time for some (divine?) intervention. One member of the Pattaya International Ladies Club (PILC), Alice Poulsen, was the catalyst in bringing some fairly unlikely ‘bed-fellows’ together, including the PILC and the Jesters Motorcycle Club and many collaborators. We are now about to have the 9th Annual Jester’s Care for Kids Charity Drive and Pub Night, where the recipients of the community largesse are needy children. This charity push resulted in a world-wide drive to provide suitable premises, and in 2002 the new Fountain of Life center was opened, made possible by donations and fundraising. Sr. Joan together with her sisters and staff appreciate everything that has been done for “our” children. “Pattaya may be rough in some ways, but there is so much goodness going on at the same time. We honor in our prayer and in our hearts all those who help us in our work,” she says.
I asked her whether following her religious vocation, she missed having children of her own. “I can’t boast three sons myself, but I have 120 ‘grandchildren’ between three and seven!” said Sr. Joan with a ‘maternal’ smile.
The needy in Pattaya thank you, Sr. Joan. Stay well and stay with us!