Sister Bernadette Pike

Arlington, VA -- Pope John Paul II’s “legacy” will reach far into the future of the Church, and will “revolutionize the way the Church does everything,” according to one nun who is putting this belief into everything she is doing.

Sister Bernadette Pike, MG, told CNA in a recent interview that for several years now she has been preparing material on John Paul II’s writings, charism and his spirituality in many different areas. She founded an order based on the late pontiff’s teachings and she has also launched a year-long series of talks entitled “Living the Legacy.” 

Originally from Australia, Sister Bernadette made her final vows on October 16, 2008.  She is now the foundress of the Missionaries of the Gospel, a community under the guidance of Archbishop Barry James Hickey of Perth, Australia.  The order was officially established on June 23, 2007 and is “still in its very early stages,” according to CNA, with its “first members still receiving their own formation.” The community will include sisters, as well as lay men and women have “expressed interest in living after the example of John Paul II.”

Sister Bernadette is a graduate student at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences, a Catholic graduate school of psychology offering master´s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, and a master´s degree in general psychology.  CNA said Sister Bernadette is studying at IPS because the school “integrates psychology, philosophy and theology with the intent of gaining a fuller understanding of the human person in order to better evangelize and form people in the way that John Paul II did.”

Sister’s talk series is intended for lay people who are “interested in living after the example of the late pontiff.”  Her talks will be given every two weeks via video conference. Sr. Bernadette hopes her talks will offer listeners “a deeper insight into where the Holy Father was coming from and what the Holy Spirit was trying to do through him in order to renew the Church.”

To get more information on the talk series, go to the Missionaries of the Gospel website at http://www.mg.org.au/ or send an email to Sister Bernadette at info@mg.org.au.